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MiLiTARY  Uniforms  or  all  American  Wars. 


THE 


VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER 


OF  AMERICA. 


By  JOHN  A.  LOGAN, 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR 


MILITARY  REMINISCENCES 


GENERAL   LOGAN'S    PRIVATE   JOURNAL. 

BOSTON    CBLLEGE    UBRARY 
CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS, 

CHICAGO   AND    NEW   YORK: 

1R.  S.  ipeale  Si  Company,  ffi»ubllsbcrs. 

MDCCCLXXXVII. 


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THE  MEDAL  OF  HONOR 

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Copyright, 

1S87, 

By  MARY  S.   LOGAN. 


ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED. 


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CONTENTS. 


Memoir  of  Gen.  John  A.  Logan  by  his  Literary  Executor 25 

INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 

The  American  citizen-soldier  —  Retrospect  of  important  historical  facts  —  The  con- 
dition of  the  world's  common  people  from  the  earliest  period  to  the  war  of  the 
American  Revolution — The  rise. and  fall  of  the  nations — The  governing  few 
and  the  groaning  millions — Developments  of  Time — The  growth  of  knowledge 
and  culture  at  length  develop  the  spirit  of  democracy  among  the  people  of 
England  and  France  —  The  stage  of  preparation  for  government  by  the  people 
completed  by  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  —  The  rulers  of  the 
world  startled  by  the  Declaration  of  1776  —  Birth  of  the  American  volunteer, 
and  establishment  of  a  government  of  the  masses  —  Thrilling  effect  upon  the 
voiceless  toilers  of  the  ancient  world  —  Brief  glance  at  the  progress  of  republi- 
can government  in  America — The  almost  fatal  omission  of  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration  — ^  The  germ  of  evil  existing  in  the  system  of  slavery  —  Its  rapid 
growth  and  fearful  consequences — The  conflict  of  1861  necessary  to  place 
the  Republic  upon  an  enduring  basis  —  Abundant  authorship  upon  the  battles 
of  the  great  war,  but  singular  omission  to  treat  upon  the  volunteer  soldier  and 
sailor — Importance  of  the  soldier  in  the  ranks — The  men  who  fight,  and  those 
who  are  killed —  Review  of  the  heroes  in  the  ranks;  the  classes  of  men  found 
there  -  Analysis  of  the  volunteer  soldier;  his  peculiar  characteristics;  the 
motives  actuating  him;  why  he  fights,  and  the  reasons  that  he  is  the  best  sol- 
dier the  world  has  ever  seen — A  Greek  in  prowess,  and  an  American  in 
principle;  a  soldier,  a  citizen,  and  a  legislator  —  Attempt  of  the  author  to 
add  a  missing  chapter  to  the  history  of  the  wars  of  America,  in  vindication  of 
the  immortal  volunteer 81 


PART    I. 

HISTORY    OF    MILITARY    EDUCATION    IN    THE    UNITED 

STATES. 

CHAPTER  I. 
West  Point  on  the  Hudson —  Its  history  as  a  military  post  during  the  Revolution 
—  Its  great  importance  as  a  strategic  point  —  Attempts  by  the  British  to  cap- 
ture it —  Probable  consequences  had  the  attempts  proved  successful  —  Fortifi- 
cation of  the  locality  by  the  American  colonists  —  Historical  sketch  of  the 
proceedings  relating  to  its  fortification  —  Nature  and  value  of  the  defenses  — 

V 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

Reasons  of  the  importance  of  West  Point  and  the  line  of  the  Hudson  River 
—  The  plan  of  the  British  General  Burgoyne  to  cut  the  colonies  and  crush 
them,  in  detail  —  Sketch  of  Burgoyne  —  The  type  of  an  educated  military 
officer  —  Detail  of  his  campaign,  his  equipment,  and  his  forces,  including  the 
expedition  of  Sir  Henry  Clinton  from  New  York — Burgoyne's  confidence 
of  the  success  of  his  expedition  —  Flying  colors  and  beating  drums  inspire 
the  British  at  the  beginning  of  their  campaign —  The  Yankee  to  be  annihil- 
ated —  Sunshine  followed  by  shadow  —  Burgoyne  runs  against  Mollie 
Stark's  husband  —  Amazement  of  the  "red-coats"  —  The  fatal  error  of  the 
British  General  —  He  had  not  calculated  upon  the  American  volunteer  — 
Spectral  soldiers  rise  before  him  —  Fearful  eyes  look  at  him  over  destructive 
gun-barrels —  Arrival  at  Bemis  Heights —  The  volunteers  surround  and  cap- 
ture the  whole  expedition  —  Consequences  of  the  victory  of  the  most  profound 
importance  —  Its  effect  upon  the  Old  World  —  Amazement  at  the  spectacle  of 
the  citizen-soldier  —  A  new  figure  in  the  history  of  battlefields  —  Comparison 
between  the  volunteer  of  the  contest  and  the  educated  soldier  of  the  expedi- 
tion—  Renewed  fortification  of  West  Point  by  the  colonists  —  Interesting 
official  documents  relating  thereto  —  A  glance  at  Benedict  Arnold  and  Major 
Andre  —  Defeat  of  Arnold's  treason  by  the  spectral  volunteer  —  Immcrtal 
names  in  American  history 95 

CHAPTER  II. 

Military  education  in  the  United  States  considered  —  Preliminary  observations 
upon  the  nature  of  genius  —  An  inherent  something  in  every  individual  that 
gives  shape  to  his  destiny —  Illustration  from  ancient  maxims  to  show  the 
early  recognition  of  the  fact  of  inherent  attribute — Mistakes  of  parents  in 
attempting  to  give  direction  to  the  career  of  their  children  —  Fearful  conse- 
quences of  attempts  to  make  musicians,  artists,  lawyers,  doctors,  etc.,  of  those 
lacking  the  inspiration  of  each  particular  calling  —  General  fate  of  youths 
who  are  "  taught "  to  be  soldiers —  Fallacy  of  the  popular  belief  in  the  exclu- 
sive efficacy  of  specific  education  in  the  life-callings  —  What  is  genius?  — 
Citation  of  celebrated  examples  of  great  soldiers  and  of  great  inventors  — 
Quaint  illustration  as  furnished  by  a  great  artist  in  dress  —  Growth  of  the 
sentiment  in  favor  of  military  education  after  the  Revolution  —  The  attempt 
of  Washington  to  diffuse  military  knowledge  among  the  people,  and  to  make 
soldiers  without  resorting  to  the  dangers  of  a  standing  army — Quotation 
from  the  official  documents  of  President  Washington  —  The  great  volunteer 
soldier  of  the  Revolution,  General  Henry  Knox,  as  Secretary  of  War,,  drafts 
his  historic  paper  upon  the  organization  of  the  militia  —  Ample  quotation  of 
highly  interesting  documents  not  accessible  to  the  general  people  —  Sketch  of 
the  remarkable  soldier,  Henry  Knox,  the  great  artillerist  of  the  Revolution  — 
Natural  genius  for  the  profession  of  the  soldier  leads  him.  without  special 
education,  from  the  counter  of  the  tradesman  to  the  command  of  an  army  — 
His  brilliant  military  career  touched  upon  —  As  Secretary  of  War  he  submits 
his  plan  for  the  organization  of  the  militia  of  the  United  States  —  Reproduc- 
tion of  the  full  text  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  state  papers  in  existence  ..    115 


CONTENTS.  vii 

CHAPTER  III. 
Conclusion  of  the  classic  paper  of  General  Henry  Knox  upon  the  organization  of 
the  militia  —  Sketch  of  the  legislative  proceedings  founded  upon  General 
Knox's  paper — Introduction  of  the  bill  of  July  i,  1790,  to  more  effectually 
provide  for  the  national  defense  by  establishing  a  uniform  militia  throughout 
the  United  States  —  The  bill  wholly  different  from  that  recommended  by 
General  Knox — Detail  of  its  progress  through  Congress — Absurd  opposi- 
tion by  the  "  Quakers  of  New  England,"  who  forward  a  vigorous  protest 
against  all  war-measures  —  Adjournment  of  the  first  Congress  without  action 
upon  the  bill — Its  consideration  resumed  at  the  first  session  of  the  second 
Congress — Detail  of  the  action  of  the  two  Houses — It  becomes  a  law  on 
the  8th  of  May,  1792  —  This  act,  though  since  amended,  forms  the  basis  of 
the  present  militia  law  of  the  United  States  —  Attempt  by  the  several  States 
to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  the  law  —  Its  vital  deficiencies  stated  —  At- 
tempts at  the  following  session  to  remedy  the  defects  of  the  bill  —  Disap- 
pointment of  General  Knox  in  the  bill  as  passed  by  Congress — Renewal 
of  the  agitation  upon  outbreak  of  the  difficulties  with  Great  Britain,  which 
preceded  the  war  of  18 12  —  Attempts  of  Presidents  Jefferson  and  Madison  to 
induce  Congress  to  give  effectiveness  to  the  militia  bill — Difficulties  of  the 
problem,  how  to  make  a  trained  soldier  without  attaching  him  to  a  permanent 
military  establishment,  considered — The  advantages  of  training  to  the  soldier 
stated  —  Circumstances  leading  to  a  belief  in  the  necessity  of  establishing  a 
military  school  for  the  education  of  officers  —  The  first  wrong  step  of  the 
Government  in  failing  to  build  upon  the  plan  of  General  Knox  —  Opinions  of 
the  military  experts  of  the  Revolution  upon  the  necessities  of  a  peace  estab- 
lishment quoted  in  full  —  Interesting  official  documents  bearing  upon  the 
establishment  of  a  military  school  as  the  best  military  hope  of  the  Republic  — 
The  initial  error  of  the  forefathers  in  failing  to  provide  for  a  general  military 
education  of  the  masses     134 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  defects  and  failures  of  the  militia  laws  add  to  the  growing  sentiment  in  favor 
of  a  military  school  —  Ineffectual  attempts  through  a  series  of  years  are  made 
to  give  vitality  to  the  militia  laws  —  A  short  sketch  of  the  principal  of  these 
attempts  —  General  Knox  once  more  appears  upon  the  scene,  and  endeavors 
to  save  the  situation  by  another  appeal  in  behalf  of  establishing  a  militia 
system  upon  the  principle  of  rotation—  Knox's  ideal  army  of  veterans  spring- 
ing from  the  walks  of  civil  life  —  His  last  appeal  and  disappearance  from 
a  scene  which  he  had  adorned  as  a  volunteer,  as  a  distinguished  soldier,  an 
eminent  statesman,  and  an  estimable  citizen  —  Review  of  General  Knox's 
plan  of  rotation  as  applied  to  the  organization  of  the  military  resources  —  The 
use  of  the  principle  of  rotation  applied  to  the  advocacy  of  a  military  school  — 
Full  text  of  the  law  of  1794,  providing  for  the  organization  of  a  corps 
of  artillerists  and  engineers  —  This  law  becomes  the  initial  movement  even- 
tuating in  the  establishment  of  the  military  school  at  West  Point — Salient 
points  of  the  law  —  The  grade  of  cadet  established  in  the  American  service  — 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Derivation  and  definition  of  the  word  —  Distinction  between  the  volunteer  and. 
cadet —  The  new  school  of  artillerists  and  engineers  decidedly  peripatetic  — 
Four  years  later  an  additional  regiment  of  artillerists  and  engineers  is  created 
—  Still  peripatetic,  and  subject  to  walking  orders  —  Pregnant  changes 
of  the  four  following  years  —  The  death  of  Washington,  the  retirement 
of  Knox,  and  the  appearance  of  McHenry  as  Secretary  of  War —  Immense 
strides  in  the  seven  years'  interval  toward  a  fixed  military  establishment  — 
,  McHenry  lends  his  great  genius  to  the  problem  of  a  military  establishment 
for  the  young  Republic — The  full  text  of  his  historic  paper  given  in  full 163 

CHAPTER  V. 

Conclusion  of  Secretary  McHenry 's  interesting  paper  —  A  school-organization 
outlined,  and  estimates  of  expense  furnished  by  the  Secretary —  The  paper  of 
McHenry  additionally  important  because  standing  immediately  before  the 
acts  which  finally  culminated  in  the  establishment  of  a  fixed  military  academy 
at  West  Point — Review  of  the  battle-ground  fought  over  by  the  advocates 
and  opponents  of  a  special  military  school  —  The  bayonet-charge  of  Mc- 
Henry by  which  the  works  of  the  opposition  were  carried  —  The  merits  and 
fallacies  of  McHenry's  papers  touched  upon  —  Misapplication  of  facts  and 
illogical  conclusions  —  The  necessity  of  military  education  and  training  are 
indisputable,  but  something  else  is  necessary  to  make  the  great  soldier  — 
Cyrus,  Alexander,  Hannibal,  Pompey  the  Great,  Ctesar,  Charlemagne,  Fred- 
erick, Napoleon,  Washington,  and  Grant,  as  soldiers  by  virtue  not  only  of 
education,  but  also  of  natural  inspiration —  Cursory  review  of  the  legislation 
succeeding  to  the  reports  of  Secretary  McHenry — Final  passage  of  the 
law  of  January  11,  1S02,  definitely  creating  a  military  school  at  W^est  Point  — 
The  full  text  of  the  law  given  as  a  matter  of  curious  information 185 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Comments  upon  the  law  establishing  the  Military  Academy  —  Strength  of  the 
opposition  to  it  —  The  passage  of  the  law  not  an  open  measure  —  The  char- 
ter of  the  Academy  embraced  in  a  "  rider  "  upon  another  bill —  None  of  the 
usual  provisions  attaching  to  the  creation  of  fixed  institutions  surrounding 
the  establishing  act  —  The  means  by  which  the  Academy  was  created,  sug- 
gestive of  equivocation  and  concealment  —  Definite  establishment  of  the 
Academy  in  1802  —  The  subsequent  legislation  which  has  since  been  con- 
stantly demanded  in  its  behalf  begins  in  the  following  year —  The  institution 
languishes,  until  symptoms  of  renewed  trouble  with  Great  Britain  appear  — 
Report  of  the  Chief  Engineer  in  1808,  setting  forth  the  hazardous  state  of  the 
enterprise,  suggesting  its  removal  to  Washington,  and  mapping  out  certain 
measures  necessary  to  the  life  of  the  Academy —  Partial  text  of  this  mteresting 
report — Discovery  of  the  Professor,  that  mere  mathematics  will  not  make 
either  an  artillerist  or  engineer  —  The  Academy  characterized  as  a  foundling 
barely  existing  among  the  mountains  —  New  suggestions  for  the  infusion  of 
vitality  into  the  foundling  —  The  reasons  of  the  opposition  stated  —  Of 
doubtful  constitutionality,  and  perilous  to  free  institutions — President  Madi- 


CONTENTS.  ix 

son  urges  attention  to  the  AcaJemy  in  1810,  on  account  of  the  strained 
relations  with  Great  Britain —  Declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States,  Jnane 
iS,  1S12,  and  passage  of  the  law  of  April  29,  1812,  which  is  to  be  consid- 
ered the  true  charter  of  the  Academy  —  Objections  brushed  away  in  the  face 
of  actual  war,  and  everything  done  to  build  up  the  institution  —  The  volun- 
teer upon  the  ground,  but  the  Government  disposed  to  breathe  .life  into  the 
West  Point  starveling  —  Full  text  of  the  important  law  of  April,  1812,  given 
a-  .ne  supplement  to  that  of  1802,  establishing  the  Academy  —  Wholesome 
effect  of  the  law  upon  the  West  Point  school  —  Report  of  General  Bernard  and 
Colonel  MacRea,  recommending  an  addition  to  the  school — Frank  con- 
fession that  an  education  docs  not  educate —  Ilistory  of  the  school  followed 
—  Recommendation,  in  1S19,  by  John  C.  Calhoun,  to  establish  another  school 
in  the  South  —  Strong  attempts,  in  1S21  and  in  1844,  by  State  legislatures,  to 
abolish  the  Academy  —  Full  statement  of  the  reasons  —  It  was  considered 
aristocratic  and  anti-republican,  unnecessary,  expensive,  and  extravagant  — 
The  school  triumphs  over  all  opposition  —  Complete  enumeration  of  the 
various  acts  of  Congress  bearing  upon  the  Academy,  from  1802  to  1879  — 
Synopsis  of  the  laws  governing  the  Military  Academy,  including  the  method  of 
cadet  admission  —  Resume  of  laws  passed  since  1879 — Unjust  discrimina- 
tion against  civilians  and  alarming  grasp  upon  the  military  resources  of  the 
country  by  the  West  Point  influence  exposed , 210 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Concluding  remarks  upon  the  West  Point  Academy — Its  financial  aspect  — 
Amount  of  land  embraced  within  its  reservation,  and  the  cost  thereof — History 
of  the  purchase  —  Table  N'o.  I. ,  showing  the  annual  appropriations  for  the 
institution  from  1802  to  1886  —  Appropriation  for  1886  given  in  detail  by 
items,  etc.  —  Table  No.  II.,  for  subsequent  reference,  showing  the  popula- 
tion of  the  slave-holding  and  non-slaveholding  States,  in  iSio,  and  in  i860  — 
Table  A'o.  III.,  also  for  subsequent  comment,  giving  the  total  number  of 
cadets  and  their  residence,  appointed  to  the  Academy  from  1802  to  1S61  — 
Table  No.  IP'.,  for  subsequent  comment,  giving  a  complete  list  of  high-class 
graduates  from  West  Point,  from  the  year  1802  to  the  year  1861  —  Conclud- 
ing observations  upon  the  West  Point  Academy  —  Mistake  of  the  Government, 
in  1866,  whereby  the  Academy  was  removed  from  the  superintendency  of  the 
Chief  Engineer,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  War  Department  of  the  Govern- 
ment —  The  result  detrimental  because  subjecting  the  institution  to  the 
pernicious  influences  of  political  changes —  Perpetration  of  a  still  greater 
error,  by  constituting  the  post  at  West  Point  a  military  department  under  the 
command  of  a  general  army-offlcer  —  Illustration  of  the  enormous  demands 
of  a  professional  military  establishment  —  The  West  Point  starveling  of  1809 
blossoming,  in  seventy-five  years,  into  a  wide-spreading  tree,  covering  the 
whole  area  of  a  military  department —  The  danger  of  ultimately  subordinat- 
ing the  civil  to  the  military  power  plainly  perceived  by  an  honored  civilian, 
who,  as  Secretary  of  War,  rescinds  an  error  full  cf  dangerour  possibilities —  237 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


History  of  naval  education  in  the  United  States,  and  of  ttie  Naval  Academy  at 
Annapolis  — ■  Tiie  idea  of  a  naval  school  probably  coeval  with  that  of  a  military 
school  —  The  act  of  August,  1789,  establishing  the  Department  of  War,  vests 
the  charge  of  the  naval  interest  in  that  department  —  The  celebrated  General 
Knox  becomes  thereby  the  first  actual  Secretary  of  the  Navy  —  Ey  act  of 
April,  1798,  the  naval  interest  is  confided  to  a  separate  department  —  The 
first  official  suggestion  for  the  establishment  of  a  naval  school  made  by 
Secretary  McHenry,  in  the  year  1800  —  Alexander  Hamilton  credited  w^ith 
the  authorship  of  McHenry's  celebrated  paper  —  Suggestions  relative  to 
naval  instruction  next  made  by  Col.  Williams,  in  1808,  in  the  report  pre- 
viously quoted  —  The  act  of  Congress  of  January  2,  1813,  passed  in  response 
to  the  necessities  of  the  war  with  Great  Britain,  provides  formally  for  naval 
instruction  by  the  appointment  of  schoolmasters  on  shipboard  —  Crudity  of 
the  system  mentioned,  though  the  act  is  to  be  cciisidered  as  the  initial  move- 
ment which  has  since  developed  into  an  exclusive  naval  academy — "The 
schoolmaster  abroad  "  in  a  literal  sense  —  Bad  boys  and  naughty  midshipmen — 
Action  of  Naval  Secretary  Jones,  in  1814,,  for  the  establishment  of  a  naval 
academy  —  The  Congress  makes  no  response  to  his  suggestion  —  Action  of 
Smith  Thompson,  in  1822,  who,  as  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  renews  the  attempt 
of  his  predecessor,  and  meets  with  a  similar  failure  —  Action  of  Secretary 
of  the  Nav}'  Samuel  L.  Southard,  in  1824 —  His  very  able  report  quoted  — 
Renewed  efforts  of  the  Secretary,  at  the  following  session  of  Congress — No 
response  being  made.  President  John  Quincy  Adams  comes  to  the  aid  of  his 
Secretary  —  Quotations  from  his  message  —  Further  report  of  the  Secretary 
in  1825  —  Renewed  effort  in  1826 — Failure  of  Congress  to  respond  — 
Attempt,  in  1827,  to  imitate  the  plan  of  creating  the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  by  attaching  a  "  rider"  to  a  naval  bill  —  Text  of  the  amendment  pro- 
posed —  The  history  of  the  legislation  upon  the  amendments  followed  in 
detail  —  Record  of  some  famous  votes  —  Defeat  of  the  measure  by  direct 
vote  —  Return  of  the  President  and  his  Secretary  to  the  attack  at  the 
following  session  —  Another  failure'' to  obtain  legislation — Mention  of  the 
heirlooms  of  the  departments  —  The  determination  to  erect  a  naval  school 
one  of  them — Curious  illustration  of  traditional  depariment  policy  presented 
by  the  case  of  Secretary  John  Branch  —  Quotations  from  his  extraordinary 
report  —  Inconsistency  between  a  Senator  and  a  Naval  Secretary — Humor- 
ous illustration  of  "  foreign  languages"  — Yankee  sailors  and  iron-throats  — 
A  passing  glance  at  the  Government  barnacle  —  Attempt  ot  Secretary  Levi 
Woodbury  in  1833 —  Table  No.  V.,  giving  official  statement  of  naval  schools 
in  1833 264 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Interesting  statistics  contained  in  the  report  of  the  Housfe  Committee  of  Naval 
Affairs  in  1834  —  Condition  of  the  midshipmen  of  the  service  at  that  date, 
and  state  of  naval  instruction  —  Introduction  of  a  bill  to  meet  the  necessities 
of  the  midshipmen  —  Disadvantages  of  an  infelicitous  mode  of  expression — • 


cox  Tents.  xi 

Grotesque  perversion  of  language  —  Reappearaiiee  of  Samuel  \j.  Soulhard  as 
Senator  from  New  Jersey  —  Revival  of  tiie  subjeet  of  a  naval  academy  — 
Curious  memorial  and  resolutions  of  commissioned  and  warrant  officers  of  the 
U.  S.  ship  Constiiiition,  looking  to  the  establishment  of  a  fixed  naval  school 

—  Senator  Southard  reports  another  bill  creating  an  academy  —  Another 
defeat  of  the  movement  —  The  irresistible  force  of  evolution  transforms  the 
former  dominie  of  the  receiving  ships  into  a  "professor,"  while  the- annual 
appropriation  bills  provide  him  with  a  salary,  instead  of  his  previous  wages  — 
Pay  of  the  middies  in  1S35 —  Renewal  of  the  efforts  to  obtain  a  fixed  school 
by  Secretary  A.  P.  Upshur  in  1841 — Quotations  from  his  very  able  reports 

—  Another  bill  prepared  locating  a  school  at  or  near  Fortress  Monroe —  The 
bill  again  fails  —  A  further  example  of  evolution — The  old  schoolmaster  of 
the  receiving  ship,  having  become  a  "  pi'ofessor  of  mathematics,"  is  author- 
ized by  special  law  "  to  live  and  mess  with  lieutenants  "  —  Passage  of  an  act 
authorizing  the  appointment  of  engineers  and  assistants  in  the  navy  on  steam 
vessels  —  The  valuable  paper  of  Secretary  Upshur  in  relation  to  naval  educa- 
tion —  Failure  of  the  Secretary  to  obtain  legislation  —  Attempt  of  Secretary 
Bayard,  in  1845,  to  obtain  legislation  for  the  creation  of  an  academy — Out- 
line of  the  Secretary's  bill,  and  quotation  of  his  able  report  —  The  old  battle 
re-fought,  and  the  champions  of  a  naval  academy  again  defeated  in  their 
cherished  project 286 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  attempt  to  obtain  Congressional  legislation  to  create  a  naval  academy  is  finally 
abandoned  —  Advent  of  the  Polk  administration  —  Deterrnination  to  establish 
the  academy  —  A  quaint  but  powerful  suggestion  —  There  being  no  law  prohi- 
biting the  establishment  of  an  academy,  sufficient  warrant  held  to  exist  for  its 
creation  —  Action  of  Secretary  of  the  Navy  George  Bancroft  during  the  recess 
of  Congress — A  naval  school  at  last  created  without  warrant  of  legislation, 
by  an  artifice —  The  approach  of  war  with  Mexico  probably  prevents  a  vigor- 
ous opposition  by  Congress  —  Fort  Severn  transferred  to  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, and  the  Academy  formally  established  at  Annapolis — The  institution 
is  placed  under  charge  of  Commander  Frankhn  Buchanan  as  Superintendent 

—  Historical  note  of  Buchanan — Deserting  from  the  Navy  in  1861,  and 
fitting  out  the  "  Merrimack" —  Outbreak  of  the  Mexican  war  —  The  Naval 
Academy  first  formally  recognized  in  the  Congressional  appropriation  bill 
upon  the  occurrence  of  that  event  —  Table  No.  VI. ,  presenting  the  total  appro- 
priations for  the  Naval  Academy,  exclusive  of  the  pay  of  cadets,  from  1845,  the 
year  of  its  formal  establishment,  to  the  year  1886  —  The  appropriation  for  the 
last  year  given  in  detail,  in  order  to  show  the  basis  upon  which  the  Academy 
is  run  —  Table  No.  VII. ,  showing  the  number  of  cadets  annually  admitted  to 
the  Academy  from  1845  to  1885  — Resume  of  the  principal  regulations  of  the 
Academy,  including  method  of  appointment  to  the  institution 288 


CONTENTS. 


PART    II. 

CONSIDERATION  OF  THE  PRESENT  MILITARY  SYSTEM 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Scrutiny  of  the  Military  and  Naval  Academies  as  bearing  upon  the  question  of  their 
adaptation  to  the  present  requirements  of  .the  American  Republic  —  The 
author's  belief  that  they  are  deficient  in  the  necessities  of  a  broad  military 
system,  and  may  even  be  dangerous  —  An  example  of  false  logic — Discus- 
sion of  the  subject  in  its  various  aspects  —  Disclaimer  of  personal  motives  at 
the  outset  —  Review  of  the  position  and  relation  of  those  entering  the  military 
and  naval  schools  as  cadets  to  the  Government  and  the  people  —  Their  obliga- 
tions and  peculiar  position  after  formal  admission  to  the  service  of  their 
country  —  Their  employment  represents  a  life  service  —  Particular  scrutiny  of 
the  cases  of  those  individuals  who  left  the  service  upon  the  outbreak  of  the 
rebellion  —  Quotation  from  the  reports  of  Secretaries  Cameron  and  Welles, 
and  from  the  message  of  President  Lincoln,  in  i86t  — Glorious  tribute  to  the 
American  soldier  and  sailor  —  The  moral  of  the  desertions  as  applied  to  the 
soundness  of  our  military  system  —  The  great  and  magnanimous  forgiveness 
after  the  close  of  the  rebellion  —  Lessons  of  subsequent  events  —  Table  No. 
VIII.,  exhibiting  a  list  of  the  army  officers,  graduates  of  the  Academy  at  West 
Point,  who  left  the  United  States  service  at  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  — 
Table  No.  IX.,  exhibiting  a  similar  list  of  non-graduates  of  the  Academy  — 
Table  No,  X.,  exhibiting  a  list  of  naval  officers  who  deserted  the  standard  of 
their  country  during  the  civil  war —  Table  No.  XI.,  exhibiting  names  of 
graduates  of  the  Naval  Academy  from  the  year  1845  to  the  year  i860 327 

CHAPTER  XIL 

Does  the  present  military  system  of  the  United  States  lead  in  the  direction  of 
class-distinction?  —  Discussion  of  the  subject  —  Preliminary  considerations  — 
The  characteristics  of  man  compel  a  resort  to  the  expedient  of  government  — 
Certain  features  belonging  to  governments  in  general  —  Not  many  primitive 
types  of  government — The  ancient  governments  of  the  world  representative 
of  the  rule  of  the  few  over  the  masses  of  the  people  —  The  vital  question  of 
monarchies  r  how  to  harness  the  common  people  in  their  service  —  How  to 
use  the  whirlwind,  and  how  to  control  it  at  one  and  the  same  time  —  The 
democratic  governments  of  the  world  —  Their  perils  have  arisen  from  the 
tendency  to  class-distinction  —  The  republics  of  Greece  wrecked  upon  the 
rock  of  aristocracy  —  The  relating  factor  of  human  slavery — Nature  of  the 
human  trait  leading  to  the  cultivation  of  caste  —  Its  widespread  prevalence  in 
every  age — Analysis  of  class-distinction  —  Its  existence  in  the  early  Asiatic 
despotisms —  The  ennobling  character  of  "blood " —  Its  blue  and  red  color  in 
ancient   Spain  —  The  nobility  of  the  ancient  Athenians,  Thebails,  and  the 


CONTENTS.  xiil 

later  Romans  —  The  fantastic  caste  of  India — The  subject  of  liuman  slavery 
as  related  to  that  of  class-distinction — Slavery  one  of  the  oldest  of  human 
institutions — Its  blighting  effect  upon  servant  and  master  alike  —  Slavery 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  the  outgrowth  of  caste  and  titles  of 
nobility  —  The  patricians  and  the  populace  of  Rome —  Growth  of  caste  in  the 
ancient  republic  —  Conflicts  of  the  masses  over  the  question — The  Agrarian 
and  Licinian  laws  —  Curious  anomaly  presented  by  the  plebeian  class  who 
afterwards  became  ennobled  — Theywj  imagiiniiii  and  coals-of-arms  —  Down- 
fall of  the  republic  from  the  sheer  weakness  of  human  character  —  A  glance 
at  the  so-called  republics  of  Italy — The  most  arbitrary  aristocracies  of  the 
world  —  The  lessons  to  be  learned  from  the  examples  of  the  past 376 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  lesson  of  class-distinction  necessary  to  be  learned  by  the  American  people  — 
A  glance  at  the  former  class-distinction  in  the  Southern  States  based  upon 
negro  slavery  —  The  former  constitution  of  society  in  the  slave  States  —  The 
Pariahs  of  the  South,  and  the  "  poor  w^hite  trash"  —  The  favored  few  reach- 
ing back  into  the  past  for  titles  of  gentility  —  The  premium  upon  ' '  good 
blood  " —  The  growth  of  the  aristocratic  sentiment  of  the  South  gradually 
alienating  the  people  from  affiliation  with  the  commoners  of  the  North  —  The 
climax  reached  when  the  control  of  the  Government  was  lost  in  1861  —  The 
rebellion  a  logical  and  inevitable  conclusion  of  the  establishment  of  an  aris- 
tocracy based  upon  the  corner-stone  of  slavery —  No  Southern  republic 
possible  in  case  of  successful  separation  —  A  monarchy  the  only  alternative 
—  A  word  to  the  people  of  the  North  upon  the  same  subject  —  Dangers  of 
concentration  of  wealth  in  individual  and  corporate  hands — The  rule  of  the 
majority,  and  the  minority  of  wealth  —  Inquiry  into  the  aristocratic  tenden- 
cies of  our  present  military  system  —  The  charges  of  this  nature  that  have 
been  alleged  against  West  Point  for  half  a  century  —  The  friends  of  the  insti- 
tution placed  upon  the  defensive  —  A  curious  defense  by  Colonel  Totten  — 
An  absurd  table  of  statistics  by  the  same  zealous  official  —  An  analysis  of  the 
table  shows  its  statistics  to  be  wholly  without  value,  while  a  scrutiny  of  the 
arguments  proves  them  to  be  fallacious  and  evasive  —  Cadet  Whittaker  and 
the  manifestation  of  the  class-feeling  touched  upon  —  The  real  nature  of  the 
charge  of  the  aristocratic  tendency  of  our  present  military  system  stated  — 
Justice  to  individuals  rendered — The  pure  patriotism  of  Grant,  Sherman, 
Sheridan,  Hancock,  and  others,  fully  conceded  —  The  present  generation  still 
unappreciative  of  them  —  Opportunities  for  Ctesarism  offered  by  the  war  — 
Happy  escape  from  a  Northern  dictatorship  —  The  West  Point  Academy  not 
to  be  credited  with  unseltish  patriotism  or  rare  military  abilities  —  Grant  and 
Lee  children  of  the  same  military  parent  —  A  strong  comparison — Grant,  the 
simple  republican,  and  Lee,  the  unrepublican  aristocrat .._. 394 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  evil  of  the  military  system  lies  in  the  creation  of  a  small  body  of  men  into  an 
organization  which,  by  reason  of  certain  facts  in  connection  with  the  system, 
is  rendered  inimical  to  republican  institutions  —  The  question  of  a  life-service 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

in  a  republic  under  the  present  organization  —  Tlie  life-service  of  the  armv 
and  navy  considered  —  Comparison  with  the  judicial  service  of  the  Govern- 
ment—  The  difference  between  courts-martial  and  courts-judicial  —  The 
sleeping  sentinel  and  the  slumbering  policeman  —  Distinctions  of  the  military 
and  judicial  systems  —  The  one  practically  unaccountable  to  the  people  — 
The  other  substantially  accountable  —  Accountability  of  all  other  officials, 
from  the  President  to  the  most  unimportant  employe  —  The  distinction 
established  by  the  Constitution  referred  to  —  A  serious  question  of  constitu- 
tional interpretation  certain  to  be  raised  soon  or  late  —  Does  the  Constitution 
authorize  Congress  to  create  a  continuous  military  establishment  ?  —  Further 
distinction  between  the  two  life-service  branches  of  the  Government  —  the 
military  branch  a  separate  entity,  living  apart  from  the  body  of  the  people, 
under  its  own  laws —  Much  greater  certainty  of  the  military  than  the  judicial 
tenure —  The  military  practically  beyond  the  reach  of  the  sovereign  people  — 
Absurdity  of  the  attempt  to  create  other  life-tenures,  as  that  of  a  continuous 
diplomatic  body  —  The  strong  points  of  the  military  tenure  stated  —  The 
tendency  to  class-distinction  inevitable  as  a  result  of  the  military  system  — 
The  present  military  system  is  restrictive,  inadequate  to  the  ends  of  its 
creation,  and  wholly  un-American  —  The  reasons  stated  —  The  terrible 
lesson  of  the  rebellion  in  illustration  of  the  dangers  of  confining  military 
knowledge  to  a  comparatively  small  number  of  citizens,  constituting  the  select 
few  who  may  hold  the  destinies  of  the  country  in  their  hands  —  The  whole 
system  but  an  imitation  of  European  institutions 41 5 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Col.  Totten's  idea  of  safety  in  the  method  of  appointment  to  West  Point  and 
Annapolis  —  Consideration  of  the  method  of  appointment — It  is  wholly 
objectionable,  because  political  in  character —  Wholly  inadequate  to  the  selec- 
tion of  inherent  military  aptitudes,  and  not  the  most  conducive  to  the  safety  of 
republican  government  —  Full  statement  of  the  operation  of  the  appointing 
method  —  Its  political  character  and  use  as  political  patronage  —  The  case  of 
Judson  Kilpatrick —  How  he  won  his  appointment  to  West  Point  by  political 
service —  Kilpatrick's  high  services  as  an  officer  —  Further  remarks  upon  the 
necessity  of  inherent  fitness  for  the  military  calling  —  A  fortunate  selection  to 
West  Point  or  Annapolis,  under  the  present  system,  a  mere  accident  —  Perni- 
cious influence  of  the  political  system  upon  cadet  and  officer  —  Reference  to 
statistics  of  population,  in  their  political  bearing  upon  cadet  appointments  — 
The  result  as  shown  in  the  action  of  deserting  officers  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
rebellion  —  Constitution  of  the  army  at  the  beginning  of  the  civil  war —  Real 
animus  of  the  deserting  officers  —  The  moving  stimulus  of  caste  when  slavery 
•was  menaced  —  Inadequacy  of  the  appointing  method  considered  —  No  pos- 
sibility, except  as  a  result  of  accident,  of  developing  inherent  military  aptitude 
■ —  Scrutiny  of  the  evidence  furnished  by  the  high-class  graduates  of  West 
Point — Most  instructive  statistics  of  the  graduating  tables — Many  gradu- 
ates, but  few  soldiers,  made  by  West  Point  —  Scores  of  professors,  lawyers, 
editors,  etc.,  but  a  scarcity  of  generals  —  Consideration  of  individual  records 


CONTENTS.  XV 

—  The  interesting  cases  of  the  brothers  Joseph  and  John  Swift,  the  one  a 
West  Pointer  and  the  other  a  volunteer  soldier  —  The  making  of  a  fine  soldier 
without  an  academic  education  —  Interesting  review  of  the  honor  graduates  of 
West  Point  for  sixty  years  —  Who  they  were,  and  what  they  did  —  Statistical 
resume  of  the  results  of  the  institution  —  Thirty-three  per  cent  of  its  gradu- 
ates never  see  a  battle —  Fifty  per  cent  have  left  no  military  record  —  Fossil- 
iferous  system  as  to  class  honors — Evidence  upon  the  negative  side  of  the 
question  —  The  great  names  of  the  civil  conflict  upon  both  sides  were  those 
of  low  classmen  —  A  few  of  them  pointed  out — The  last  objection  to  the 
appointing  system  considered  —  The  dangers  of  a  small  military  class  — 
Necessity  of  broadening  the  mihtary  system 426 


PART    III. 

A  DEMAND    FOR   JUSTICE. 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
Arrival  at  the  point  where  the  citizen-soldiery  of  the  United  States  may  most 
advantageously  be  considered  —  No  military  system  under  the  colonial  system 

—  Held  down  by  the  professional  soldiers  of  England  —  Native  and  acquired 
qualities  of  the  colonists  for  soldiers — Military  training  in  the  Indian  con- 
flicts—  The  birth  of  the  American  volunteer  at  Lexington — He  has  been  the 
right  arm  of  the  country  from  Bunker  Hill  to  Appomattox  Court-house — If 
the  arm  be  palsied  through  whatever  cause,  the  Republic  must  fall  in  spite  of 
its  academic  soldiers  —  Sketch  of  the  American  plan  of  army  organization  — 
No  standing  army,  but  capable  of  producing  the  most  effective  army  in  the 
world — Unprogressive  character  of  the  "  regular"  military  scheme  —  Para- 
doxical position  of  the  Government  —  The  volunteer  soldier  admitted  to  be 
the  military  hope  of  the  Republic,  and  subjected  to  an  unjust  treatment  calcu- 
lated to  destroy  the  rock  upon  which  the  Republic  so  securely  rests — Consid- 
eration of  the  matter  in  detail  —  The  qualities  that  form  the  soldier  in  battle 

—  Certain  things  that  can  not  be  learned  in  schools  —  Burning  powder  and 
whizzing  balls  —  The  question  of  discipline  upon  dress-parade  and  under  a 
murderous  fire  —  Personal  bravery  a  characteristic  of  the  volunteer  —  The 
value  of  discipline  and  confidence  in  the  leaders  —  The  heroism  of  the  suffer- 
ing volunteers  of  the  Revolution  —  General  Henry  Knox,  the  wisest  military 
man  of  American  history — His  efforts  to  diffuse  military  knowledge  and 
training  among  the  whole  people  by  his  famous  militia  bill  —  Blind  defeat 
■of  the  measure  by  the  imitators  of  European  methods,  and  the  limitation  of 
military  knowledge  to  the  alumni  of  West  Point  —  Knox's  measure  original 
and  without  precedent  in  Europe  —  The  war  of  1812  and  its  volunteers  — 
The  war  with  Mexico  fought  by  volunteers  —  The  mighty  civil  strife  and  the 
faithful  volunteer 461 


xvi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

A  running  review  of  the  soldiers  and  their  officers  who  have  fought  the  battles  of 
their  country  and  rendered  its  present  greatness  possible  —  The  great  volun- 
teers of  the  Revolution  —  Soldiers  by  inherent  attributes,  and  without  aca- 
demic military  education — General  Washington  —  Civil  and  military  history  of 
Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene  —  An  instructive  case  —  A  soldier  by  natural  genius 

—  His  remarkable  campaigns  in  the  South  —  Greene's  army  of  untrained  vol- 
unteers^ His  opponent,  the  educated  Lord  Cornv\?allis,  with  his  legions  of 
trained  veterans  —  Comparison  of  Greene's  unforeshadowing  youth  with  that 
of  Napoleon  the  Great — Foreshadowing  circumstances  of  Washington's 
youth  —  The  relating  events  connected  with  Gen.  Braddock  —  A  glance  at 
the  foreshadowings  of  Gen.  Grant  —  Quotation  from  his  memoirs — The 
interesting  figures  centering  about  the  expedition  of  Burgoyne — ISurgoyne's 
military  education  —  Completeness  of  his  equipment —  His  trained  troops  — 
The  American  volunteers  who  opposed  him  —  Gen.  John  Stark  and  his  Green 
Mountain  boys  —  Gen.  Herkimer,  Gen.  Schuyler — Sketch  of  these  gallant 
volunteers — Sketch  of  Gen.  Horatio  Gates  —  Civil  and  military  sketch  of 
Alexander  Hamilton  —  His  instructive  career —  Sketch  of  Gen.  Henry  Knox, 
author  of  the  militia  bill — -"Mad  Anthony  Wayne  "  and  his  civil  antece- 
dents—  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan  —  Gen.  Warren — Gen.  Benjamin  Lincoln — - 
Gen.  Israel  Putnam  —  Gen.  Ethan  Allen — Gen.  Francis  Marion — Gen. 
Thomas  Sumter — Captain  Nathan  Hale  —  Sketch  of  each — Notice  of  the 
professional  soldiers  of  the  Revolution  —  Gen.  Charles  Lee,  his  military  ante- 
cedents and  inglorious  career  under  Washington  —  Trial  by  court-martial  and 
sentence  —  The  case  of  Gen.  Thomas  Conway — The  unholy  conspiracy 
against  the  commander-in-chief  —  Such  a  conspiracy  impossible  among  volun- 
teer soldiers  —  Napoleonism —  The  birth  of  professional  soldiery 4S2 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  American  volunteer  in  the  War  of  1812  —  General  considerations  relating  to 
the  war  —  Its  unnecessary  character — Its  naval  features  —  The  volunteer 
upon  the  sea  —  The  naval  power  of  Great  Britain  at  the  beginning  of  the 
war — Her  boast  to  be  "mistress  of  the  seas"  destined  to  receive  a  rude 
retort  from  the  Yankee  sailors  —  The  days  of  her  supremacy  upon  the  ocean 
numbered  from  the  declaration  of  the  war  —  Sketch  of  the  Americans  as 
navigators — Their  small  navy  during  tlie  Revolution  —  Tlie  gallant  heroes 
of  the  struggle — The  wonderful  achievements  of  Paul  Jones  —  Tiie  small 
American  navy  sweeps  the  seas  of  British  merchantmen  —  The  navy  at  the 
close  of  the  year  179S,  in  view  of  an  impending  war  with  France  —  The 
brilliant  victory  of  the  Constellation  over  the  French  frigate  L' Insurgente  — 

—  State  of  the  American  navy  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  of  1812  —  The 
British  proposal  to  sweep  the  seas  of  the  "little  bits  of  striped  bunting"  — 
The  first  attempt  in  that  direction  results  in  a  veritable  surprise  to  the  mari- 
time nations  of  the  world  —  The  English  frigate  Guerriere  encounters  the 
American  sailor  Isaac  Hull,  with  "  Old  Ironsides  "  —  Humiliating  defeat  of 
the  Englishman  —  Its  effect  upon  the  British  pretensions  —  The  extended 


CONTENTS.  xvil 

series  of  American  naval  victories  upon  tiie  seas  and  the  Nortliern  ial<es —  Re- 
markable captures  by  Commodore  Porter  with  the  Essex  —  The  achievements  of 
Decatur — His  crew  teach  the  Uriton  a  lesson  in  gunnery  —  The  thrilling 
exploit  of  Capt.  Isaac  Jones  —  Number  of  captures  made  by  the  Americans 
on  the  ocean  during  the  war  —  Astonishment  of  the  English  Government  at 
the  success  of  the  American  sailors  —  Committees  of  investigation  raised  to 
inquire  into  the  secret  of  their  extraordinary  skill  —  The  committees  recom- 
mend that  their  "  heroes  be  put  to  school  again  "  —  A  running  account  of  the 
splendid  achievements  of  the  American  navy  during  the  war  of  i8i2-'i4  — 
The  victories  upon  the  ocean,  and  those  upon  the  lakes,  by  Perry,  Chauncey, 
and  Macdonough,  effectually  abolish  the  assumption  of  the  English  that 
"  Britannia  rules  the  wave" 507 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  logic  of  the  naval  superiority  of  the  American  volunteer  sailor  —  His  skill  not 
the  result  of  academic  education  —  Sketch  of  the  naval  heroes  of   1812  — 
Thomas  Macdonough,  the  hero  of  Lake  Champlain  —  Oliver  H.  Perry,  the 
hero  of  Lake  Erie  —  liis  remarkable  dispatch  announcing  one  of  the  greatest 
■  naval  victories  of  the  world  —  Isaac  Chaunce)',  the  hero  of  Lake  Ontario, 
and   his   educated   opponent,    Sir   James   Yeo  —  Sketch    of   the   remarkable 
ocean  heroes  —  Stephen  Decatur —  Isaac  Hull,  the  commander  of  "  Old  Iron- 
sides," and   his  marvelous  exploit  of  sailing  a  ship  without  wind  —  James 
Lawrence,  the  author  of  the  motto  of  the  American  navy,  "  Don't  give  up  the 
ship" — William  Bainbridge  —Jacob  Jones —  David  Porter  —  Joshua  Barney 
—  Lessons  of  the  career  of  these  seamen  —  All  of  them  learned  their  profes- 
sion by  a  practical  method  —  Their  distinction   due   to  special   fitness  —  The 
naval  heroes  of  the  American  civil  conflict  —  A  repetition  of  the  lesson  —  A 
consideration  of  the  land  volunteers  of  1S12 —  Their  lack  of  training  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war  supplemented  by  the  subsequent  record  of   brilliant 
victories  —  A  glance  at  the  prominent  volunteer  officers,  with  a  sketch  of 
their  previous  history — "William  Henry  Harrison  —  Winfield  Scott — Andrew 
Jackson  —  Richard    M.    Johnson  —  Pike  —  Greene  Clay  —  Isaac    Shelby  — 
Jacob  Brown  —  Ilenry  Leavenworth  — John  Swift —  E.  W.  Ripley — William 
J.  Worth,  and  others —  The  gallantry  of  the  volunteer  soldiers  recognized  by 
Congress  —  Text  of  the  joint  resolution  passed  by  that  body  —  A  glance  at  the 
Mexican  war — Its  injustice  and  unpopularity  at  the  North — A  measure  of 
conquest  in  the  interest  of  slave  territory  —  Numbers  of  volunteers  furnished 
by  the  sections —  The  volunteer  of  the  JMexican  war —  Untrained,  but  invin- 
cible —  Chagrin  of  the  enemy  because  the  volunteers   wouldn't   surrender, 
when,  under  the  laws  of  the  schools,  they  ought  to  be  whipped  —  A  short 
practical  discipline  again  makes  the  volunteer  the  conquering  hero  —  West 
Point  figures  in  the  war  for  the  first  time  —  The  great  captains  of  the  war, 
the  volunteer  soldiers  Winfield  Scott  and  Zachary  Taylor  —  A  sketch  of  the 
■■"  career  of  each  --  Both  reared  to  civil  pursuits,  and  both  great  soldiers  by  in- 
spiration —  The    remarkable    career    of    one    of    the    greatest   of    American 
soldiers,  John  E.  Wool  —  Sketch  of  his  history —  A  civilian  until  his  twenty- 
fourth  year -. 528 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   XX. 


The  American  civil  conflict  —  General  observations  upon  the  war  —  Like  all 
others  in  which  the  nation  has  been  engaged  since  the  Independence,  forced 
upon  the  country  by  Southern  statesmen  —  Glorious  work  reserved  for  the 
volunteer  soldier —  Its  best  hope  and  constant  savior —  State  of  the  military 
resources  of  the  country  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  —  The  Government  robbed 
of  its  arms,  but  the  volunteer  soldier  is  left  to  it  —  His  splendid  attributes 
described — The  same  man  that  fought  at  Bunker  Hill,  at  Yorktown,  at 
Chippewa  and  Lundy's  Lane,  and  in  sight  of  the  palaces  of  Mexico  —  The 
results  of  the  volunteer's  efforts  in  the  civil  war  —  He  preserves  the  union, 
abolishes  slavery,  and  revolutionizes  the  old  methods  of  warfare —  Tribute  to 
his  character  —  A  hasty  review  of  some  of  the  volunteer  officers  of  the  rebel- 
lion—  General  A.  H.  Terry  —  A  sketch  of  his  remarkable  career — The  first 
half  of  an  ordinary  life  spent  in  civil  pursuits  —  Sudden  birth  of  the  great 
soldier — His  brilliant  achievement  at  Fort  Fisher — A  sketch  of  the  attack 
upon  that  work,  and  the  actors  in  it  —  Contrast  between  the  academic  soldier 
and  the  soldier  by  natural  genius  —  The  volunteer  soldier  E.  D.  Sumner, 
Philip  Kearney,  Daniel  Sickles,  J.  D.  Cox,  Jeff,  C.  Davis,  Lewis  Wallace, 
W.  II.  L.  Wallace,  J.  S.  Wadsworth,  D.  B.  Birney,  Frank  P.  Blair,  John  A. 
McClernand,  John  M.  Palmer,  the  McCooks,  Michael  Corcoran,  James 
Shields,  Thos.  F.  Meagher,  James  Mulligan,  John  A.  Dix  —  Sketch  of  the 
career  of  each  —  Other  volunteer  officers  —  Benj.  F.  Butler,  Thos.  Ewing, 
James  A.  Garfield,  John  W.  Geary,  John  F.  Hartranft,  Robt.  B.  Mitchell, 
M.  F.  Force,  Richard  Oglesby,  John  F.  Miller,  Lucius  Fairchild,  John  E. 
Smith,  Jas.  H.  Lane,  Robt.  Milroy,  J.  G.  Blunt,  etc.  —  The  lessons  of  the 
military  career  of  these  able  soldiers  in  confirmation  of  the  position  of  the 
author  —  The  case  of  Baron  Jomini,  one  of  the  great  military  authorities  of 
the  world,  cited  in  illustration  —  Opinion  of  Napoleon  as  to  Jomini  —  The 
naval  heroes  of  the  rebellion  —  Just  representatives  of  their  predecessors  — 
Concluding  summary  and  commentary  upon  all  of  the  facts  —  The  pro- 
fuseness  of  illustration  of  the  author's  position  —  "One  swallow  makes 
no  spring  "  —  The  American  Republic  the  gift  of  its  citizen  soldiery  —  Still 
another  phase  of  the  question  of  the  academic  method  of  making  soldiers  — 
The  negative  of  the  argument  —  Is  a  high  scholastic  military  training  some- 
times detrimental  to  success  ?  —  The  famous  case  of  General  Braddock  — 
Testimony  of  General  Washington  —  Evidence  from  the  Fort  Fisher  affair  — 
A  voice  from  the  mouths  of  wooden  artillery 555 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

A  consideration  of  the  injustice  of  the  present  military  system  to  the  citizen 
soldiery  —  The  people  at  large  sufficiently  grateful  to  their  benefactors,  but  a 
lack  of  wisdom  of  the  politicians  and  administrators  of  the  Government  —  The 
pay  of  the  volunteer  soldier  a  factor  of  short-sighted  injustice  —  Discrimina- 
tion between  the  expense  of  the  citizen  and  of  the  professional  soldiery, 
the  one  being  periodical  and  the  other  continuous  —  Small  expense  of  the 


CONTENTS.  Xix 

Government  for  its  military  defense  —  The  injustice  of  the  "regular"  army 
organization  to  the  volunteer  —  The  aggressivenesti  of  West  Point  —  The 
volunteer  considered  a  charlatan  by  the  academic  soldiers  —  Usurpation  by 
the  West  Point  influence  of  the  military  aif airs  of  the  country  —  Effect  of 
this  preeminence  upon  the  volunteers — The  perniciousness  of  the  West 
Point  influence  at  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war — The  volunteer  pushed  aside 
for  the  regular  —  An  open  determination  of  the  West  Pointers  to  prevent  any 
volunteer  from  succeeding — The  country  imperiled  by  feuds  between  the 
professional  soldiers  of  the  Academy  —  Usurpation  of  the  military  legislation  of 
Congress  by  the  West  Point  influence— The  whole  military  organization  of 
the  government  in  its  hands —  Table  No.  XII.,  exhibiting  an  officiallist  of  the 
retired  officers  of  the  United  States,  showing  their  names,  rank,  and  annual 
pay  and  allowances,  to  December  31,  1885  —  A  startling  exhibit  of  injustice 
to  the  volunteer  —  The  difference  of  pay  of  a  regular  officer,  retired  after  a 
disabling  wound,  and  of  a  volunteer  with  his  pittance  called  a  "pension" 
—  A  serious  question  put  to  the  country  at  large  —  Fallacy  of  the  argument 
upon  which  a  higher  pay  is  given  to  the  "regular"  —  The  position  of  the 
latter  as  a  constant  dependent  of  the  Government,  and  of  the  volunteer, 
returning  from  a  war  broken  in  health  and  business,  and  without  resources  — 
A  demand  that  the  people  would  do  well  to  heed 578 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A  strong  appeal  made  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  in  their  own  interest  — 
The  remodeling  of  our  present  military  system  a  national  necessity  —  Action 
belongs  to  the  people  and  not  to  the  politicians  —  Let  the  present  oppression 
of  the  volunteer  soldiery  cease  at  once  and  forever,  and  let  a  system  be 
elaborated  which  shall  take  away  the  military  knowledge  and  power  of  the 
Government  from  the  select  circle  now  holding  both,  and  repose  them  in  the 
real  hope  and  defense  of  the  country,  the  people  at  large  —  In  the  creation  of 
a  military  system  nothing  can  or  should  be  borrowed  from  Europeon  models 
—  A  glance  at  the  schools  and  systems  of  France,  of  England,  and  of 
Prussia — The  three  cardinal  principles  upon  which  the  American  military 
system  should  be  based  stated  by  the  author— Cadet-appointment  must 
be  divorced  from  politics  —  Entrance  to  the  army  and  navy  must  be  free  to 
all  and  military  knowledge  must  be  diffused  among  the  people  at  large  — 
Reasons  of  the  author  for  not  offering  a  plan  of  military  organization 
in  detail  —  His  general  outline  of  a  military  system —  Broad,  comprehensive, 
and  certainly  effective  —  The  fundamental  bases  dwelt  upon,  and  the  general 
draft  of  a  plan  suggested  —  The  true  functions,  for  the  future,  of  the  Military 
and  Naval  Academies  —  The  action  required  in  the  various  States  so  as  to  ren- 
der military  instruction  accessible  to  all  who  may  seek  it  —  Action  required  of 
the  National  Government  —  A  broad  plan  to  educate  the  whole  youth  of  the 
country  to  the  preliminary  knowledge  and  training  of  the  soldier,  and  to 
bring  forward  to  fuller  tuition  those  with  the  natural  bent  to  a  military  life  — 
Creation  of  a  vast  army  of  citizen-soldiers,  ready  to  take  the  field  when  neces- 


CONTENTS. 

sary,  and  the  special  education  of  officers  with  the  inborn  military  spirit  — 
The  advantages  of  the  system  stated,  and  possible  objections  to  it  answered  — 
Strong  arguments  to  prove  the  imminency  of  the  needed  reform  of  the  present 
system  —  The  present  crowding  of  the  service  through  West  Point  and  An- 
napolis —  Remarkable  confirmation  of  the  necessity  of  immediate  reform  by 
the  recent  establishment  of  a  naval  war  school  —  The  acknowledged  results 
of  forty  years  of  naval  academic  teaching  —  Concluding  comments  of  the 
author  upon  the  subject 598 


APPENDIX. 

MILITARY  REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  WAR  IN  THE  WEST. 

From  the  Journal  of  General  Logan. 

The  Battle  of  Belmont,  .......  619 

The  Capture  of  Fort  Henry,         -  -  -  -  -  -  -  626 

The  Capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  -  -  -  -  -  -  638 

"  The  Siege  of  Corinth,"  ....--.  661 

The  Mississippi  Campaign,    -.--.--  675 

The  Battle  of  Raymond,  .-..-...  677 

The  Battle  of  Champion  Hills,  ......  677 

The  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  678 

The  Atlanta  Campaign  —  Resaca,     ------  679 

The  Battle  of  Dallas,        -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  681 

The  Assault  on  Kenesaw  Mountain,  .  -  ■  .  -  683 

The  First  Battle  of  Atlanta,         .......  685 

The  Second  Battle  of  Atlanta,  -  -  -  -  -  -  691 . 

Jonesboro,  .---.----  693 

The  Capture  of  Fort  McAllister,      --.--.  694 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


By  H.  Ogden,  T.  Fleming,    Waldo    Weber,   William  A.  McCullough,  E.J.Meeker, 
Walter  Goater,  and  A.  C.  Redwood. 

PAGE 

1.  Military  Uniforms  of  all  American  Wars  -       -        Frontispiece. 

2.  Dedication     .----..--.-  -3 

3.  Portrait  of  General  Logan.     From  photograph  by  Scott,  Chicago  -  22 

4.  General  Logan  a  Godfather  during  the  Storm  of  Battle       -        -  35 

5.  General  Logan  Hurrying  from  Congress  to  the  Field  of  Bull  Run  66 

6.  Scenes  from  Army  Life              74 

7.  Capture  of  Major  Andre           - 114 

8.  The  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,     i.  Cadets'  Mess  Hall.     2. 

Fortifications  on  the  Hudson          ._-.-..-  226 

9.  The  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,    i.  Cadet  Quarters.     2.  Dress- 

Parade.     3.   Physical  and  Chemical  Laboratories  —  Practice  Fleet  in 

distance        .--.         ........  274 

10.  The  Volunteer's  Departure  ....--.--  324 

11.  The  Volunteer's  Return    .-. 354 

12.  Famous  Military  Leaders,     i.  General  U.  S.  Grant.     2.  Major-Gen- 

eral  E.  V.  Sumner.     3.  Major-General  John  E.  Wool.     4.  Major-Gen- 

eral  Lew.  Wallace.     5.  Major-General  Jeff.  C.  Davis         .        -        .  418 

13.  Three  Typical  Volunteer  Generals,     i.  General  John  Stark  and  his 

Green  Mountain  Boys.     2.  General  Logan  in  the  Rain  before  Donel- 

son.     3.  General  Terry  at  Fort  Fisher 458 

14.  The  Battle  OF  Buena  Vista.      "A  little  more  grape,  Captain  Bragg."  480 

15.  Volunteer  Heroes  OF  the  Revolution,      i.  Greene.      2.  Wayne.     3. 

Putnam.     4.  Washington.     5.  Stark.     6.   Knox.     7.  Hamilton  -         -  498 

16.  The  Victory  of  the  Constitution  ("Old  Ironsides")  over  the 

guerriere 514 

17.  The  Battle  of  Lake  Erie 530 

18.  American  Naval  Heroes,     i.  Farragut.     2.  Chauncey.     3.  Worden. 

4.  Macdonough.     5.   Perry.     6.   Hull.    - 536 

19.  Death  of  General  Philip  Kearney    ---.--.  566 

20.  General  Logan  at  Atlanta 616 

21.  General  Logan  Entering  Vicksburg  at  the  Head  of  the  Army    -  626 

22.  The  Battle  of  Champion  Hills 642 

23.  Explosion  in  the  Crater  at  Vicksburg -  658 

24.  The  Battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain 674 

25.  Thf  Second  Battle  of  Atlanta 690 

XXI 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 

By  C.  a.  Logan,  LL.D. 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


By  C.  a.  Logan,  LL.  D. 


THE  present  volume  constitutes  the  last  literary  work  of 
General  John  A.  Logan.  It  was  commenced  in  February, 
1886,  while  its  author  was  still  engaged  with  the  proof-reading  of 
"  The  Great  Conspiracy,"  and  it  assumed  its  present  completed  form 
by  the  first  of  December  last.  The  statement  of  this  fact  will  serve 
to  convey  some  idea  of  the  methodical  industry  that  enabled  a  man 
of  almost  uninternipted  public  occupation  to  accomplish,  amid  the 
absorbing  duties  of  his  position,  the  large  amount  of  literary  labor 
that  it  is  well  known  he  regularly  performed.  During  the  sessions 
of  Congress,  no  member  of  either  branch  composing  it  was  more 
diligent  in  the  performance  of  committee-work  nor  more  prompt 
in  attendance  upon  the  sessions  of  the  body  of  which  he  was  a 
member  than  he.  There  were  no  questions  of  general  importance 
in  the  discussion  of  which  he  did  not  actively  participate  ;  and  it 
was  no  unusual  thing  for  him  to  be  engaged  far  in  the  night  in  the 
consultation  of  records  and  documents  relating  to  topics  and  meas- 
ures under  consideration  by  the  Senate. 

After  the  daily  adjournments,  his  house  was  thronged  until  a 
late  hour — often  much  too  late  —  with  friends,  and  with  those  de- 
sirous to  consult  him  upon  the  business  in  which  they  happened  to 
be  interested.  During  the  Congressional  vacations  calls  were  made 
upon  him  from  every  direction  to  deliver  addresses,  or  to  lend  his 
valuable  aid  in  the  work  of  important  campaigns. 

His  capacity  for  continuous  labor  became  the  admiration  of 
those  at  all  acquainted  with  his  busy  round  of  life.     An  interesting 

25 


26  MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

anecdote  Is  related  by  Senator  Cullom,  of  Illinois,  illustrative  of  his 
habit  of  constant  work.  General  Logan  dined  with  his  colleague, 
Senator  Cullom,  only  a  few  days  prior  to  the  open  development 
of  his  fatal  sickness.  During  the  course  of  after-dinner  conversa- 
tion, the  General  remarked  that  he  had  just  completed  for  the  press 
a  volume  upon  ''The  Volunteer  Soldier."  Senator  Cullom  made  an 
observation  expressive  of  surprise  that  his  colleague  should  be  able 
to  find  time  to  perform  so  large  an  amount  of  literary  labor,  in  addi- 
tion to  that  demanded  by  his  already  onerous  official  occupations.  To 
this  the  General  replied,  with  a  smile  ,  "The  fact  is.  Senator,  that 
however  late  I  may  be  in  going  to  bed,  I  rise  very  early,  and  thus  I 
have  a  good  hour  and  a  half  for  work  before  the  most  of  my  neigh- 
bors get  their  eyes  open  in  the  morning." 

By  reference  to  General  Logan's  correspondence,  it  has  been  found 
that,  under  date  of  the  5th  of  December  last,  he  addressed  guarded 
communications  —  not  being  very  familiar  with  the  methods  of  the 
trade  —  to  each  of  two  well-known  book  firms,  one  established 
in  the  East  and  the  other  in  the  West,  upon  the  subject  of  the  publi- 
cation of  a  proposed  volume  upon  "  The  Volunteer  Soldier,"  A  reply 
from  each  of  these  is  upon  file,  in  which  is  stated  the  desire  of  the 
firm  to  negotiate  for  the  production  of  the  work. 

After  these  replies  were  received,  the  author  re-read  his  manu- 
script, and  almost  immediately  upon  completing  his  final  review  — 
it  being  then  toward  the  middle  of  December — he  sought  a  bed 
from  which  he  never  again  rose  in  life.  For  nearly  two  weeks  he 
lay  upon  it,  bearing  suffering  patiently  while  there  was  hope  of 
recovery ;  and  when  it  became  apparent  that  he  was  engaged  in  his 
last  struggle,  he  comforted  his  wife  and  children,  and  before  losing 
consciousness  gave  expression  to  the  impressive  and  noble  utter- 
ance :     "  If  this  is  the  end,  I  am  ready!  " 

In  three  weeks,  to  a  day,  from  the  date  of  addressing  the 
publishers  upon  the  subject  of  his  latest  book,  the  weary  man  had 
rested  from  his  labors;  his  last  earthly  contest  had  been  entered 
upon  and  iinished;  and,  indifferent  to  the  adulations  of  fame,  voice- 


MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR.  27 

less  in  responr.e  to  the  frantic  calls  of  family,  careless  of  the  stings  of 
detractors,  that  followed  him  with  unrelenting  energy  to  the  very 
line  separating  the  known  from  the  unknown,  he  had  closed  the 
record  of  a  splendid  career,  and  bequeathed  it  as  a  rich  legacy  to 
the  youth  of  America. 

The  volume  now  given  to  the  public  as  a  posthumous  work  is 
an  important  contribution  to  the  national  interests,  and  a  produc- 
tion possessed  of  a  number  of  elements  which  give  it  a  very  orig- 
.•nal  and  in  some  respects  a  very  extraordinary  character. 

Its  importance  is  largely  to  be  found  in  the  circumstance  that 
IS  an  experienced  military  man  —  having  studied  for  a  number  of 
years,  under  the  advantages  of  an  official  position,  the  military 
system  of  the  country  —  the  author  imparts  to  his  fellow-citizens 
the  matured  results  of  his  study,  and  makes  a  demonstration  of  the 
necessity  of  a  radical  reform.  He  shows  quite  conclusively  that  as 
now  constituted  the  system  is  wrong  ab  initio;  and  that  while  the 
.jheory  of  our  government  reposes  the  defense  of  the  Republic  upon 
/its  citizen-soldiery  —  in  opposition  to  the  method  of  the  standing 
army  adopted  by  centralized  governments  —  the  actual  practice 
erects  an  exclusive  military  establishment,  to  which  are  attached  the 
essentials  of  a  caste  or  class-distinction,  and  within  the  mechanism 
of  which  reside  all  of  the  possible  dangers  belonging  to  the  military 
establishment  of  an  absolute  monarchy. 

With  his  usual  vigor  of  attack  the  author  masses  a  potential 
array  of  facts  upon  which  he  erects  batteries  of  argument,  which 
without  doubt  must  carry  conviction  to  the  general  people,  and 
soon  or  late  result  in  an  entire  remodeling  of  the  American  military 
system  upon  something  like  the  broad  and  safely  sustaining  basis 
so  sagaciously  pointed  out  by  the  great  General. 

The  strong  warp  of  the  fabric  which  the  hand  of  the  soldier- 
statesman  has  dexteroiasly  woven  into  the  present  volume  is  repre- 
sented by  the  volunteer  soldiery,  while  the  woof  of  the  finished 
texture  rests  upon  that  element  as  does  a  stately  edifice  upon  an 
immovable  foundation  wall.     General  Logan  is  conceded  to  have 


28  MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

been  the  strongest  type  of  the  American  volunteer  soldier  of  the 
period  in  which  he  lived;  and  most  efficiently  has  he  done  battle  in 
behalf  of  that  great  bulwark  of  our  national  existence  and  security. 

Devoted  through  life  to  the  principle  involved  in  the  idea 
creating  what  may  be  termed  a  civilian  soldier  ;  indefatigable  in 
the  care  of  the  volunteer  patriots  while  marshaling  them  against  the 
grim  dangers  of  war;  untiring  in  his  efforts  in  civil  position  to 
secure  to  them  the  just  recognition  of  services  impossible  of  over- 
estimation,  his  last  efforts  were  put  forth  for  the  interests  —  double 
though  identical  —  of  the  citizen-soldiery  and  of  the  Republic 
whose  national  life  it  sustains. 

While  the  argument  of  the  work  is  so  strong  as  to  carry  con- 
viction by  storm,  its  construction  evinces  artistic  skill  and  com- 
pleteness. With  the  boldness  and  open  honesty  of  a  man  who 
never  fought  under  cover  of  a  masked  intention,  he  does  not 
hesitate  to  express  his  views  in  language  not  to  be  disguised  in 
its  true  meaning  by  any  insubstantial  device  of  M^ord-gilding.  But 
while,  as  always,  he  states  facts,  and  comments  upon  them  in  unal- 
loyed English,  he  deals  in  no  invective,  nor  does  he  exhibit  unneces- 
sary harshness.  His  charge  is  as  crushing  as  it  is  brilliant;  but  it 
is  also  as  open  as  it  is  vigorous.  The  unbiased  reader  of  the  follow- 
ing pages  must  pronounce  the  book  energetic  in  style,  though 
dispassionate  and  logical  in  argument;  earnest  in  effort,  but  im- 
partial in  judgment;  just  without  uncalled-for  bitterness;  vehe- 
ment in  the  maintenance  of  opinion;  national  in  purpose,  and 
unpartisan  in  spirit. 

As  the  author  has  so  well  remarked,  the  present  war  literature 
covers,  in  detail,  every  battle  and  engagement  that  took  place 
during  the  late  rebellion.  The  book  has  a  much  broader  purpose 
than  the  eulogy  of  individual  heroism  and  achievement,  however 
merited.  Though  there  is  scarcely  a  page  that  does  not  dwell 
upon  the  American  volunteer,  yet  the  volunteer  soldiery  is  con- 
sidered in  the  aggregate,  and,  with  the  exception  of  those  indi- 
viduals  presented    by  way  of   pointing  the  argument,  not  in  the 


MEiMOIR    OF    THE   AUTHOR.  29 

separate  sense.  The  author  has  studied  the  volunteer  in  the  light 
of  the  system  he  represents,  and  his  appeal  is  made  in  behalf  of 
the  system. 

The  work  is  not  only  original  in  thought  and  in  matter,  but,  as 
before  remarked,  it  is  extraordinary  in  some  of  its  features. 
Attacks  have  been  made  heretofore,  as  we  learn  from  the  author, 
upon  the  aristocratic  tendencies  of  the  West  Point  institution  ;  but 
no  such  complete  analysis  of  the  American  military  system,  in  its 
bearing  upon  the  future  necessities  of  the  Republic,  has  ever 
appeared  in  print.  General  Logan  has  brought  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  question  treated  the  expert  knowledge  of  a  great  sol- 
dier, made  practical  in  application  to  the  needs  of  the  state  by  the 
ripe  culture  and  experience  of  a  no  less  great  statesman.  The 
book,  while  offering  a  deservedly  glowing  tribute  to  the  indi- 
vidual volunteer,  will  be  considered  a  sterling  contribution  to 
the  permanent  interests  of  the  country.  It  comprehends  a  calm, 
dignified,  and  exhaustive  discussion  of  a  very  important  public 
question,  which  must  make  the  volume  alike  valuable  to  the  sol- 
dier and  civilian.  It  will  be  read  by  citizens  of  to-day,  and  placed 
in  the  library  for  reference  in  the  future. 

One  of  the  strong  points  of  the  work  that  securely  hold  the 
initial  ends  of  the  developing  argument  is  that  which  conclusively 
demonstrates  the  existence  of  a  special  aptitude  in  all  individuals 
gifted  in  a  specific  direction  above  their  fellow-men.  The 
author  emphasizes  this  indisputable  fact,  and  exemplifies  it  by 
citing  the  cases  of  a  large  number  of  the  most  eminent  soldiers  of 
American  history ;  and  while  he  utters  eloquent  and  unselfish  trib- 
utes to  the  great  men  who  preceded  him,  as  also  to  those  who 
were  his  actual  contemporaries,  the  reader  will  be  struck  with  the 
charming  naivete  which  proves  him  to  have  been  utterly  uncon- 
scious that  he,  himself,  was  one  of  the  best  exemplars  of  the 
proposition  he  was  laboring  to  establish.  If  men  are  born  with 
the  military  genius,  John  A.  Logan  was  one  of  the  number. 

It  does  not  fall  within  the  purpose  of  the  present  memoir  to 


30  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

present  an  r  ttended  biographical  sketch  of  the  distinguished 
author  of  the  following  pages  —  a  man  whose  whole  career  was  a 
faithful  representation  ot  <he  truth  embodied  in  the  maxim,  '■'■Per 
angusta  ad  augusta"  His  Ufe  story  has  already  been  told  in 
various  special  volumes  ;  while  the  eulogies  that  have  been  pro- 
nounced upon  him  in  both  branches  of  the  National  Congress  by 
men  of  all  parties;  in  the  various  state  legislatures;  and  during 
innumerable  memorial  services  held  in  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, have  acquainted  the  American  people  with  the  virtues  of  a 
public  man  whose  character  and  career  will  always  be  quoted  for 
the  emulation  of  youth. 

While  a  biography  proper  could  hardly  be  attempted  in  a  space 
as  limited  as  that  assigned  to  a  memorial  note,  nevertheless,  some 
of  the  strong  features  of  the  character  now  being  considered,  and 
especially  as  they  seem  naturally  to  be  suggested  by  the  author's 
volume,  may  be  appropriately  touched  upon. 

General  Logan  was  one  of  the  men  that,  upon  appearing  in  a 
public  place,  immediately  claim  the  general  attention.  Above  the 
medium  height,  his  fine  physique  gave  assurance  of  great  muscular 
strength  and  activity.  His  hair  was  as  black  and  lustrous  as  the 
wing  of  a  raven  ;  the  head  massive  ;  its  contour  bold  and  striking ; 
the  forehead  broad  and  high,  showing  great  breadth  and  depth 
of  brain  structure ;  the  eyebrows  heavily  formed  of  rich  black 
hair ;  the  nose  large  and  of  Grecian  caste ;  the  mouth  neither 
large  nor  small,  under  the  pla)''  of  the  muscles  surround- 
ing it,  as  moved  by  the  varying  conditions  of  excitement,  grief, 
pleasure,  anger,  determination,  etc.,  was  a  study  for  the  phys- 
iologist ;  while  the  chin,  broad  and  symmetrical,  lent  completeness 
to  a  head  and  face  of  classical  beauty.  But  the  particular  feature 
which  most  riveted  attention  was  the  eye.  The  sclerotic,  as  visible 
from  the  front  of  the  ball,  was  of  a  limpid  white,  while  the  dark- 
ness of  the  pupil  resembled  "night,  with  hue  so  black."  As  the 
diamond  flashes  out  its  richest  colors  in  response  to  the  question- 
ing gleam  of  light,  so  the  eye  of   this  gifted  man  was  illuminated 


MEMOIR    OF    yj/E  AUTJJOR.  31. 

with  distinctive  rays,  in  obedience  to  the  separate  emotions  calling 
them  forth.  Amid  the  roar  of  battle,  as  he  rode  at  the  head  of  his 
troops,  sword  in  hand  and  head  uncovered,  that  wonderful  eye 
shone  like  a  meteor,  and  inspired  his  men  to  deeds  of  desperate 
valor.  Upon  the  floor  of  Congress,  or  in  general  debate,  it  was  not 
difficult  to  predict,  by  means  of  the  play  of  light  in  the  eyes,  the 
precise  moment  when  the  gathering  storm  would  break  ;  while 
those  that  knew  him  intimately  could  read  his  every  emotion  as  he 
conversed  among  his  friends  in  the  domestic  or  in  the  social  circle. 
If  the  writer  were  called  upon  for  an  opinion  as  to  the  more 
exclusive  location  of  the  compelling  magnetism  that  so  enlisted 
the  enthusiasm  of  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  the  opin- 
ion would  place  it  in  the  organ  spoken  of.  When  he  felt  kindly 
toward  an  individual,  his  honest  soul  shone  forth  through  the 
dark  eye,  and  one  could  see  at  a  glance  that  the  language  of  the 
eye  ratified  the  words  of  the  mouth. 

The  character  of  General  Logan  was  compounded  of  an 
unusual  number  of  the  strongly  typical  elements.  Considered 
from  the  premise  offered  by  mere  anatomical  circumstance,  it  may 
be  said  to  be  rare  to  find  such  profuse  development,  in  the  same 
individual,  of  so  many  of  the  higher  traits.  Of  the  elements  going 
to  make  up  this  rich  combination,  apart  from  those  exclusively 
related  to  strong  intellectuality,  the  chief  were  honesty,  in  the  broad 
and  not  the  vulgar  sense ;  great  energy ;  iron  determination ; 
unflinching  courage  ;  much  religious  sentiment;  great  love  of  fel- 
low-man, and  a  laudable  ambition  to  play  the  life-part  well. 

The  honesty  of  his  nature  rose  far  above  the  narrow  and  even 
degrading  precept  which  urges  honesty  because  it  is  the  best 
policy.  The  nobility  of  his  moral  constitution  scorned  the  word 
policy  in  all  of  its  base  acceptations.  He  was  never  known  to  bend  the 
knee  at  the  command,  nor  to  listen  for  a  moment  to  the  suggestions, 
of  mere  exp-^.diency  in  shaping  his  public  or  private  action.  He  was 
for  a  meas'.'re,  or  he  was  against  it,  in  the  open  daylight,  and  before 
all  opinions.     He  was  for  a  man,  or  he  was  against  him,  in  the  face 


32  MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

of  the  multitude,  and  before  high  heaven.  He  was  as  inflexible  in 
declining  to  embrace  the  party-advantage  offered  by  the  recent 
Ohio  Senatorial  case  as  he  was  firm  in  the  refusal  to  follow  the 
dictum  of  the  party  caucus  in  the  attack  made  by  an  administra- 
tion, of  which  he  was  a  warm  personal  and  political  friend,  upon 
a  Chairman  of  the  Senate  Committee  of  Foreign  Relations,  for 
whom  he  had  no  sympathy  beyond  that  inspired  by  the  demands 
of  justice.  In  both  cases  he  stood  for  principle  in  sacrifice  of 
expediency. 

Of  the  post-obiticm  tributes  that  have  been  rendered  to 
General  Logan  by  political  and  personal  opponents  —  and  these 
tributes  have  been  many  —  not  one  has  failed  to  dwell  upon  this 
high  characteristic  of  the  deceased  soldier  and  statesman.  His 
intense  honesty  was  built  upon  a  principle  as  firm  as  the  granite  of 
mother  earth,  and  duplicity,  concealment,  and  the  tricks  of  time- 
servers  were  utterly  antagonistic  to  his  nature.  "Logan  struck 
hard,"  said  one  of  his  Southern  eulogists,  "but  his  friends  and 
enemies  alike  knew  just  where  to  find  him." 

His  great  energy  was  based  upon  a  physical  structure  of 
typical  soundness,  and  of  ideal  construction.  From  the  time  when, 
as  a  boy,  he  burned  the  midnight  oil  in  his  father's  home,  in  order 
to  conquer  a  better  education  than  his  surroundings  afforded, 
through  the  whole  period  of  an  active  life,  his  energy  was  tireless, 
and,  as  a  consequence,  almost  always  effective  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  a  purpose.  His  determination  and  strong  will-power, 
embodying  resolution  and  persistence  in  maintaining  it,  were  nota- 
ble constituents  of  his  character.  The  determination  was  of  the  sort 
that  demands  an  exhaustive  consideration  of  the  factors  belonging 
to  a  question  —  or  of  a  motive  for  action  —  and  a  satisfying  reason 
for  decision  ;  and  the  determination  once  formed  upon  such  a  basis 
was  almost  changeless.  No  menace  could  influence  ;  no  suggestion 
of  a  temporizing  policy  could  turn  ;  no  pleading  could  melt  him 
from  a  course  that  he  had  once  settled  upon  as  that  which  was  just 
and  proper  to  be  pursued.     It  would  be  untrue  to  assert  that  he  never 


MEMOIR   OF    77/ E   AUTIIOR.  33 

erred,  because  such  a  claim  can  only  be  sustained  for  infallibility  ; 
but  it  can  safely  be  said  that,  when  he  erred,  it  was  never  against 
justice,  but  always  upon  the  side  of  truth,  and  of  a  worthy  cause. 

The  courage  of  the  man  was  a  sublime  quality.  It  had  nothing 
of  the  subtle  or  the  secretive  in  it,  but  belonged  to  the  order 
which  has  characterized  the  martyrs  of  the  world  when  battling 
for  principle  and  meeting  death  to  sustain  it.  It  possessed  all  that 
is  noble  of  the  supposed  fearlessness  of  the  lion,  shorn  of  every 
element  underlying  the  crouch  and  sudden  spring  of  the  cat  family. 
It  was  a  befitting  counterpart  of,  and  a  supplement  to,  the  open 
honesty  of  his  mold. 

The  religious  sentiment  was  wholly  untinctured  with  the  cant 
of  mere  profession.  It  was  a  positive  quality,  built  upon  early 
education,  deep  study  of  the  subject,  and  an  innate  reverence  of 
the  good.  In  no  phase  of  its  existence  was  it  pretentious,  nor 
approximative  to  the  pharisaical.  It  was  unboastful  and  unher- 
alded ;  but  its  results  ran  through  the  whole  texture  of  his  life- 
work,  stamping  upon  it  the  ineffaceable  mark  of  the  broad  religion 
of  humanity. 

The  love  of  fellow-man,  which  was  one  of  the  most  striking,  as 
it  was  one  of  the  most  ennobling  features  of  General  Logan's 
character,  was  the  inherent  quality  of  a  fine  nature,  the  polish  of 
which  its  possessor  had  not  attempted  to  heighten  by  the  aid  of 
factitious  art. 

No  man  could  be  a  truer  or  stronger  friend  than  General 
Logan  was.  His  fidelity  has  passed  into  a  proverb.  No  effort  was 
too  great  to  make  in  behalf  of  a  deserving  friend,  no  season  too 
unpropitious  in  which  to  remember  him.  But  the  quality  of 
faithful  adherence  to  friends  had  a  broader  and  deeper  foundation  in 
his  relations  with  men  than  that  underlying  the  obligation  to  return 
a  favor,  which  obligation  has  taken  its  place  as  a  leading  article  in 
the  creed  of  the  purely  professional  politician.  He  believed  in 
God,  and  he  likewise  believed  in  man.  He  had  the  most  implicit 
confidence  in  human  nature.     Though  he  was  one  of  the  strongest 


34 


MEMOIR   OF   THE  AUTHOR, 


of  men,  Titanic  in  physique  and  gigantic  in  intellect,  he  had  the 
heart  of  the  youth  before  the  revelations  of  later  life  have  been 
spread  before  him.  In  spite  of  the  betrayals  and  the  shameless 
ingratitudes  which  constantly  met  him  in  his  intercourse  with  men, 
he  never  lost  faith  in  his  fellow-man  to  the  day  of  his  death. 
When  an  example  was  presented  which  revealed  the  darker  side  of 
human  character,  he  persisted  in  believing  it  to  represent  an  excep- 
tion to,  and  not  the  general  rule  itself.  He  judged  mankind  and 
its  impulses  under  the  light  reflected  from  his  own  character.  He 
was  himself  honest,  faithful,  charitable,  and  true,  and  he  there- 
fore believed  that  men  in  general  were  endowed  with  similar 
traits.  He  was  wholly  unconscious  of  the  possession  of  such  an 
exceptional  wealth  of  the  rarest  virtues  of  humanity.  Thus  feeling, 
while  his  heart  was  always  open  to  those  about  him,  he  made  the 
same  demand  upon  his  friends,  and  upon  the  public,  in  their  rela- 
tions to  him,  that  was  fulfilled  to  them  in  his  own  character.  It 
was  when  this  demand  was  unmet,  that  in  the  shock  of  disappoint- 
ment he  would  frequently  give  vent  to  some  strong  expression  of 
indignation.  But  any  such  ebullition  was  momentary,  and  seldom 
represented  a  lasting  feeling.  Disappointment  in  some  act  of  a 
friend  broke  upon  him  with  the  suddenness  of  the  flash  from  a 
gun  ;  but  the  effect  ceased  with  the  rapidity  that  the  noise  follow- 
ing it  rolls  away. 

General  Grant  used  to  relate  that  when  he  was  President, 
Senator  Logan  and  Senator  Morton  of  Indiana  would  come  to  him, 
each  with  thirteen  requests;  of  the  thirteen  he  would  grant  eleven 
to  Senator  Logan  and  tivo  to  Senator  Morton.  The  latter  would 
go  away  much  pleased,  and  boasting  of  his  influence  with  the 
administration,  while  the  former  would  grumblingly  declare  that 
Grant  never  did  anything  for  him.  The  anecdote  was  meant  to  be 
illustrative,  not  literal,  of  course;  but  it  well  represents  the  point  of 
General  Logan's  character  now  dwelt  upon.  His  reasoning  would 
run  thus:  If  he,  Logan,  were  President,  and  his  friend  Senator 
Grant  should  prefer  thirteen    requests,  he  would  comply  with  "■. 


General  Logan  a  Godfather  During  the  Storm  of  Battle. 


MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR. 


35 


"^•'baker's  dozen"  of  them,  and  then  throw  in  a  gratuity  for  extra 
measure  —  a  something  in  the  nature  of  what  our  Spanish-Ameri- 
can neighbors  call  a  yapp  a.  He  was  constantly  judging  men  in 
this  way  and  making  this  sort  of  demand  upon  them.  Notwith- 
standing his  grumbling,  as  General  Grant  called  it,  the  public  will 
not  soon  forget  General  Logan's  devotion  to  his  chief.  His 
gallant  fight  for  a  third  term  for  the  great  soldier,  his  long  and 
finally  successful  contest  in  Congress  to  place  the  latter  upon  the 
retired  list  of  the  army,  and  his  oration  at  the  tomb  of  General 
Grant,  at  Riverside,  upon  the  last  memorial  day,  an  oration 
which,  as  said  by  the  Rev.  John  P.  Newman,  in  his  late  eulogy  on 
General  Logan,  "  will  never  die,"  must  always  be  remembered  as 
proof  of  his  unfaltering  loyalty  to  friend  and  principle  alike. 

But  his  warmth  of  heart  radiated  beyond  the  close  circle  of 
personal  friendship  and  reached  the  larger  sphere  wherein  moves 
mankind  in  generaL  Many  anecdotes  are  told  illustrative  of  his 
kind  nature.  One  of  the  most  touching  of  these  was  an  actual 
incident  of  his  soldier  life.  It  occurred  during  the  operations 
against  Atlanta.  General  Logan  at  the  head  of  his  corps  had  made 
a  sweeping  movement  to  get  into  the  rear  of  Hood's  army. 
After  a  skirmish  near  Flint  River,  an  old  shell-torn  cabin  was  dis- 
covered by  his  men  in  which  were  found  an  aged  woman  and  her 
daughter,  the  latter  of  whom  had  just  given  birth  to  her  first  child, 
while  shot  and  missile  were  whizzing  and  hissing  through  the 
cabin  and  over  her  head.  Information  of  the  circumstance  was 
carried  to  the  General,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  great 
soldier  was  inside  the  cabin  himself.  When  he  beheld  the  har- 
rowing scene  there  presented,  his  feeling  was  deeply  moved. 
"  Boys,"  he  said,  "  fix  up  the  roof  with  some  of  the  old  slabs  from 
the  stable;  clear  things  up  a  little;  and  I  don't  think  it  would  hurt 
you  any  to  leave  a  part  of  your  rations."  The  command  and  the 
suggestion  were  complied  with  in  a  wonderfully  short  time.  The 
cabin   was   repaired   and    the   larder   supplied    most   bountifully. 

Upon  the  suggestion  that  the  child  should  be  christened,  the 


36  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR.      ' 

chaplain  was  sent  for,  and  General  Logan  stood  godfather  to  the 
infant,  who  was  then  called  Shell- Anna.  In  turning  to  go,  the  General 
took  out  a  gold  pocket-coin  —  gold  coin  was  scarce  in  that  day 
—  and,  giving  it  to  the  old  dame  as  a  christening-gift,  hurried  away 
to  the  stern  work  before  him.  But  as  he  strode  out  of  the  cabin, 
his  comrades  could  not  fail  to  notice  that 

Something  upon  the  soldier's  cheek 
Washed  away  the  stains  of  powder. 

His  love  for  the  soldiers  that  fought  the  battles  of  their  country 
was  genuine  and  unselfish.  His  regard  for  them  through  the  war 
was  evinced  in  ceaseless  efforts  to  promote  their  welfare.  During 
his  subsequent  legislative  career,  as  a  member  of  the  House  and  of 
the  Senate,  the  advocacy  of  the  rights  and  just  interests  of  the 
volunteer  soldiers,  who,  as  he  constantly  proclaimed,  had  given  us 
all  of  the  country  we  possess,  became  something  akin  to  the  re- 
quirements of  a  religious  creed. 

A  volunteer  soldier  himself,  he  was  fully  acquainted  with  the 
great  sacrifices  of  the  class  to  which  he  belonged;  and  probably 
the  most  bitter  of  all  regrets  brought  to  him  by  the  defeat  of  the 
Republican  party  in  1884  was  the  knowledge  that  much  of  his  use- 
fulness to  the  volunteer  soldiers  lay  deeply  buried  under  that 
defeat.  With  a  faith  in  Logan  that  never  faltered,  they  refused  to 
believe  that  he  was  not  as  potent  to  assist  them  under  the  new 
regime  as  under  the  party  whose  especial  and  most  loved  children 
they  were.  They  flocked  to  his  house  as  of  old,  while  he  patiently 
listened  to  their  stories  as  always  before.  With  a  burst  of  disap- 
pointment he  would  declare  that  he  could  do  nothing  with  the 
party  now  in  power,  clothed  with  it,  as  it  was,  by  the  misguided 
people  whom  the  Union  soldiers  had  fought  and  defeated  in  the 
effort  to  destroy  the  Government.  A  friend  was  sitting  with  the 
General  and  Mrs.  Logan,  not  many  months  ago,  when  a  volunteer 
soldier,  lame  from  a  wound  and  broken  in  health,  presented  himself 
with  a  request  a  compliance  with  which  would  have  placed  the 


MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR.  37 

General  in  the  position  of  an  applicant  for  a  favor  from  an  Admin- 
istration with  which  he  was  not  in  political  sympathy.  As  the  man 
proceeded  to  tell  a  story  of  suffering,  the  fire  began  to  flash  from 
the  eyes  of  the  listener,  and,  as  the  tale  was  concluded  and  the  re- 
quest preferred,  the  General  rose  to  his  feet,  paced  the  room  and 
gave  vent  to  unsuppressed  indignation.  The  soldier  sat,  with 
amazement  upon  his  face,  not  knowing  whether  he  or  others  had 
provoked  the  storm. 

"  Don't  you  know  that  I  can  do  nothing  for  you;  that  I  have  never 
asked  a  political  favor  of  this  Administration  and  that  I  never  will  ? " 
he  said,  with  the  darkened  look  upon  his  face  so  threatening  to  his 
opponents.  The  poor  soldier,  wholly  mistaken  as  to  the  moving 
impulse  of  the  sympathizing  man's  excitement,  stole  out  of  the 
room,  abashed  and  disappointed.  The  storm  soon  began  to  abate, 
and  after  a  further  half-hour's  conversation,  during  which  he  had 
evidently  been  revolving  something  in  his  mind,  he  rose  and  said  to 
Mrs.  Logan:  "  Mary,  I  can  ask  nothing  of  this  Administration  myself, 
but  I've  got  to  do  something  for  that  poor  fellow  or  I  sha'n't  sleep 
well  to-night."  With  these  words  he  started  to  put  into  execution 
a  plan  that  he  had  been  silently  considering,  and  which,  while  re- 
lieving the  General  from  all  personal  obligation,  soon  brought  to 
his  astonished  and  grateful  comrade  all  he  had  asked. 

A  laudable  ambition  to  do  everything  well  was  still  another  of 
General  Logan's  characteristics.  He  was  no  pretender,  no  sciolist, 
in  anything.  What  he  did  was  well  done,  and  the  applause  of  his 
fellow-men  was  pleasing  to  him.  While,  as  has  been  said,  he  was 
oblivious  to  his  own  rare  merits  of  character,  he  was  fully  aware  of 
his  power.  A  man  of  strength,  he  possessed  that  assertion  which 
self-consciousness  of  strength  invariably  brings;  but  he  was  not 
presumptive,  nor  was  he  despotic.  He  had  the  strength  of  a  giant, 
but  he  never  used  it  as  a  giant.  A  misrepresentation  of  his  char- 
acter in  the  respect  now  being  considered  asserted  him  to  be 
scheming  for  the  Presidency.  Never  was  a  charge  more  baseless. 
He  would  have  been  glad  to  be  President,  without  doubt,  because 


35  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

he  knew  that  he  could  be  useful  to  his  country,  and  because,  too^ 
it  would  have  been  an  additional  honor  to  those  he  had  already  re- 
ceived from  his  fellow-citizens.  Is  there  an  American  who,  with 
full  belief  that  he  could  discharge  the  duties  of  the  Presidency  well, 
would  not  be  glad  to  be  President,  or  who  would  not  be  flattered 
by  the  recognition  of  personal  merit  which  the  selection  for  the 
position  implies  ?  One  would  not  like  to  believe  that  there 
is.  But  the  assertion  that  General  Logan  schemed  for  the  Presi- 
dency is  false  in  every  sense.  His  honesty  forbade  it.  One  of  his 
strongest  traits,  as  before  observed,  was  that  he  would  never  palter 
to  any  interest  upon  the  ground  of  personal  expediency. 

Many  proofs  of  this  assertion  could  be  found  with  little  search; 
but  for  such  proof  the  search  need  go  no  farther  than  the  present 
book,  which,  notwithstanding  the  proximity  of  the  next  Presiden- 
tial contest,  was  prepared  for  immediate  publication  by  General 
Logan,  under  the  full  realization  that  it  would  awaken  hostility 
against  him  within  the  circle  of  extended  influence  that  he  has  so 
boldly  attacked  in  the  following  pages.  A  friend  conversed 
with  him  upon  this  very  point  in  November  last,  when  General 
Logan  emphatically  declared  that  he  *'  would  rather  be  the  instru- 
ment for  the  reform  of  an  abuse  so  vital  to  republican  existence, 
than  to  be  President  of  the  United  States." 

The  preceding  review  of  the  prominent  traits  of  General  Logan 
is  necessarily  more  brief  than  a  full  consideration  of  his  rare  char- 
acter would  require  of  a  biography  proper.  His  greatness  was  not 
constituted  of  a  single  element,  but  was  the  product  of  a  combina- 
tion—  a  tout  ensemble — of  rare  and  striking  qualities.  He  was  con- 
sidered a  strong  man,  not  simply  because  of  his  splendid  physical 
build,  but  also  because  of  the  possession  of  those  rugged  qualities 
of  leadership  and  command  which  caused  him  to  tower  far  above 
the  more  than  ordinary  men  among  whom  his  life  v.'as  spent.  His 
powerful  frame;  his  commanding  presence;  his  resolute  purpose; 
his  magnificent  courage,  Avhich  often  bordered  upon  the  audacious; 
his   disregard   of  all  personal  precautions  against  bodily  ills;  his 


MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 


39 


always  animated  face  and  ever  sparkling  eye,  conveyed  the  idea  of 
typical  strength.  Other  men  would  talk  with  him  of  their  own 
death  as  an  unavoidable  event;  but  no  one  ever  suggested  the  idea 
of  death  in  connection  with  John  A.  Logan,  the  very  embodiment 
of  all  that  is  vigorous  in  life.  Fie  himself  appeared  never  to  have 
entertained  the  thought.  In  all  the  years  of  close  personal  inter- 
course which  a  near  friend  enjoyed,  he  does  not  remember 
even  an  allusion  by  the  General  to  the  possible  event  of  his  own 
deatho  The  play  of  his  mind  ran  above  the  perishable  though 
stalwart  body  which  actually  inclosed  and  bore  the  mental  organ. 
When  the  compelling  messenger  came  to  demonstrate  that  his  iron- 
cased  manhood  v/as  vulnerable  as  is  all  human  life,  it  seemed 
wholly  impossible  to  his  friends  to  acquiesce  in  the  absolute 
demonstration  presented  to  their  bewildered  senses.  There  are 
those  of  his  intimates  who  cannot  yet  realize  that  he  is  gone  never 
to  return.  His  devoted  and  grief-crushed  wife  still  exclaims,  in 
the  agony  of  his  protracted  stay,  "  Oh,  I  never  believed  that  my 
darling  husband  could  die!" 

The  public  services  of  General  Logan  were  rendered  in  the 
double  capacity  of  statesman  and  soldier.  In  the  forensis  strepitus 
his  commanding  form  and  lofty  mental  attributes  were  backed 
by  that  inscrutable  magnetism  which  his  presence  everywhere 
inspired,  and  by  an  eloquence  of  speech  whose  special  character- 
istics were  peculiarly  his  own.  With  a  deep,  rich  voice,  the  rise 
and  fall  of  which  seemed  set  to  music;  with  flashing  eye  and 
speaking  gesture;  with  intense  earnestness  and  overwhelming- 
logic,  he  achieved  the  very  ideal  of  effective  oratory.  In  pure 
extempore  efforts  some  of  his  colleagues,  as  also  some  of  his 
adversaries,  might  have  surpassed  him  in  the  classicism  of  their 
•diction,  in  the  severe  construction  of  their  sentences,  and  in  the 
perfect  poise  of  their  periods ;  but  in  the  incomprehensible 
^'something"  upon  which  General  Logan  dwells  in  the  present 
volume,  and  which  gives  a  special  character  to  all  human  produc- 
tions and  efforts,  it  may  fairly  be  said  that  he  had  few  rivals  and 


40  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

no  superiors  among  the  distinguished  men  of  his  time.  He  pos- 
sessed this  "something"  to  a  remarkable  extent,  and  one  of  its 
strongest  characteristics  in  his  case  was  its  originality.  No  one  who- 
heard  his  public  addresses  several  years  ago,  when  the  "fiat- 
money  "  theory  appeared  at  its  fullest  tide,  will  forget  how  effect- 
ively General  Logan  demonstrated  the  fallacy  of  the  doctrine  by 
an  illustration  original,  simple,  and  convincing.  Holding  up  to  the 
audience  a  Roman  gold  coin,  of  the  era  of  the  Empire,  he  would 
simpl)''  ask  if  that  coin  were  worth  as  much  now  as  when  issued  by 
the  dead  government  which  coined  and  gave  it  currency.  Then, 
with  the  other  hand  holding  aloft  a  bill  of  the  Confederate  States,. 
he  would  naively  inquire  whether  that  piece  of  paper  had  any 
inherent  value.  The  homely  illustration  went  direct  to  the  point,, 
and  needed  no  further  elaboration. 

The  legislative  record  of  the  country  for  the  past  twenty  years 
attests  the  important  services  in  varied  directions  that  General 
Logan  rendered,  and  much  of  the  benefit  of  wholesome  legislation 
during  the  period  mentioned  is  largely  to  be  credited  to  his  clear 
judgment  and  strong  advocacy.  Rich  and  valuable  as  have  been 
his  services  in  the  legislative  direction,  there  will  be  none  to 
dispute  that  the  ground  upon  which  he  will  go  into  future  history 
must  cover  his  services  not  only  as  a  statesman,  but  also  as  a 
soldier  of  the  Republic. 

Washington,  Greene,  Scott,  Taylor,  Kearney,  and  Grant  were 
soldiers  by  gift  of  birth,  and  John  A.  Logan  was  their  peer  in  na- 
tural endowment.  His  discourse  upon  the  subject  of  an  "inherent 
fitness"  for  the  military  profession,  as  contained  in  the  following 
pages,  assumes  under  his  conclusive  argument  the  character  of 
exact  demonstration.  The  one  feature  lacking  to  give  it  complete- 
ness is  the  absence  of  his  own  name  from  the  generous  list  of  those 
whom  he  characterizes  as  soldiers  by  natural  inspiration.  Admit- 
tedly he  was  the  great  volunteer  General  of  the  civil  war;  and  no 
history  of  our  country  can  be  authentic  which  does  not  represent 
him  as  one  of  the  central  figures  of  that  great  conflict. 


MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR.  4 1 

It  may  here  be  remarked  that  the  word  "volunteer  "  is  used 
in  this  and  in  other  parts  of  the  memoir  simply  to  repre- 
sent the  method  by  which  one  has  become  a  soldier,  and  not  to 
imply  distinctions  of  quality  pertaining  to  the  two  classes  of 
military  men.  The  author  of  this  volume  has  annihilated  the  here- 
tofore accepted  dictum  that  the  great  soldier  can  only  become  such 
through  academic  training;  while  the  general  assumption  of  West 
Point  officers  of  a  superiority  to  the  volunteer,  by  reason  of  the 
mere  fact  of  graduation  from  a  military  school,  became  a  demon- 
strated absurdity  during  the  last  war,  through  the  lamentable  fail- 
ures of  so  large  a  proportion  of  them  in  actual  battle  It  is  a  fact 
resting  upon  a  basis  of  ample  proof,  that  the  most  serious  of  all 
mistakes  made,  and  the  most  hurtful  of  all  blunders  committed 
during  the  civil  conflict,  were  those  of  the  regular  army  officers. 
General  Logan  was  a  volunteer  soldier,  but  there  was  no  regular 
officer  that  is  now  called  who  equaled  the  record  of  the 
former  as  a  successful  soldier.  The  record  of  General  Logan  is 
that  he  never  made  a  mistake  in  any  of  his  plans  against  the 
enemy;  that  he  was  never  surprised  nor  deceived  by  the  move- 
ments of  his  adversary;  that  he  tvas  never  defeated  in  any  engagement 
or  battle  that  he  directed.  For  what  West  Point  officer  may  the  same 
record  be  claimed?  As  will  appear  farther  on,  had  his  advice  been 
followed  by  the  regular  officers  superior  to  him  in  rank,  though 
manifestly  inferior  in  military  skill,  some  very  great  mistakes  with 
their  serious  consequences  might  have  been  avoided.  Without 
anticipating  what  is  to  be  spoken  of  in  detail  in  a  future  chapter, 
Corinth  and  Atlanta  may  here  be  pointed  to. 

John  A.  Logan  was  a  volunteer  in  the  Mexican  War  at  twenty 
years  of  age.  In  1861  he  relinquished  a  seat  in  Congress,  aban- 
doned party  friends  (being  then  a  Democrat),  and  ruptured  personal 
affiliations  and  kindred  ties  to  take  command  of  a  volunteer  regi- 
ment in  defense  of  the  Union.  From  the  rank  of  colonel  he  rose 
through  the  intermediate  grades  to  that  of  major-general,  and  in 
the  remarkable  series  of  battles  comprising  those  of  Belmont,  Fort 


42  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

Henry,  Donelson,  Corinth,  Memphis,  Port  Gibson,  Raymond, 
Champion  Hills,  Vicksburg,  Resaca,  the  Big  and  the  Little  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  Decatur,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  and  of  those  attending  the 
marches  through  the  Carolinas,  General  Logan  bore  a  glorious 
and,  it  may  be  said,  an  indispensable  part. 

So  full  is  the  record  of  this  able  soldier  that  no  requirement 
exists  to  dwell  upon  his  military  character  and  achievements  in  this 
memoir;  and,  but  for  an  occurrence  which  has  transpired  since  his 
lamented  death,  the  memoir  would  be  closed  from  this  point.  The 
third  part  of  the  present  volume  is  devoted  to  "a  demand  for 
justice  to  the  volunteer  soldier,"  and  the  occurrence  alluded  to  has 
devolved  upon  his  friends  the  imperative  duty  to  make  a  demand 
for  justice  to  the  distinguished  and  never-to-be-forgotten  volunteer 
soldier  John  A.  Logan. 

How  strange  are  the  developments  and  the  revenges  of  Time, 
and  hov/  marvelous  it  seems  that  the  full  exemplification  of  General 
Logan's  trul}^  great  character  should  partly  come  through  the  dis- 
aster of  his  own  death  ! 

It  is  well  knovvm  to  all  military  men  who  participated  in  the 
Civil  War  that,  after  the  death  of  General  McPherson,  General 
Logan  was  deprived  of  the  promotion  that  rightfully  belonged  to 
him,  which  injustice  was  greatly  increased  by  the  publication  of 
the  "Memoirs  of  General  W.  T.  Sherman,"  written  ten  years  after 
the  close  of  the  war.  In  this  work  the  author  of  the  "  Memoirs  " 
gives  to  the  world  an  explanation  of  the  motives  prompting  him 
to  the  course  pursued  toward  the  great  volunteer  General,  deroga- 
tory to  the  military  ability  and  personal  character  of  the  latter,  an 
explanation  which  the  author  of  the  "  Memoirs  "  has  since  attempted 
to  soften  but  which  he  has  steadily  refused  to  retract.  The 
"Memoirs"  were  published  in  1875,  and  up  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
eleven  years  later,  General  Logan  held  in  his  possession  personal 
letters  which  of  themselves  constitute  his  full  vindication.  Gen- 
eral Logan  refused  to  give  publicity  to  these  letters  because  of 
their  personal  character,  up  to  the  period  of  his   death,  and  they 


MEMOIR   OF    TI/E  AUTHOR.  43 

would  never  have  been  given  to  the  press  by  his  friends  under  any- 
other  circumstance  than  that  now  to  be  mentioned. 

To  the  end  that  the  whole  merits  of  the  case  may  be  understood, 
no  apology  seems  to  be  needed  for  the  quotation  of  various  docu- 
ments directly  relating  to  the  subject. 

Upon  the  17th  of  July,  1864,  General  Sherman  with  his  army 
began  the  forward  movement  that  resulted  in  the  capture  of 
Atlanta.  The  advance  was  attended  with  preliminary  skirmishing, 
until  upon  the  2 2d  the  enemy  made  a  temporarily  successful  move 
upon  the  left  flank  of  the  Union  Army,  and  the  battle  of  Atlanta, 
as  it  has  since  been  called,  was  precipitated  and  fought.  In  the 
early  morning  of  that  day  the  commander  of  the  main  army 
(General  Sherman)  had  issued  an  order  ^  informing  General 
McPherson,  commanding  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  that  the 
enemy  had  evacuated  Atlanta,  and  directing  him  to  move  his  arm.y 
rapidly  toward  East  Point.  This  order  was  borne  to  McPherson  by 
Lieutenant  Willard  Warner,  of  General  Sherman's  staff.  The 
former  received  the  information  with  surprise,  but  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  send  an  order  to  General  Logan  in  furtherance  of  the 
instructions  of  his  superior."  Doubting  the  correctness  of  the 
opinion  as  to  the  evacuation  of  Atlanta,  McPherson  ordered  his 


^  "  General  Sherman  believes  that  the  enemy  have  evacuated  Atlanta,  and 
-desires  you  to  move  rapidly  forward  beyond  the  city  towards  East  Point,  leaving 
General  Dodge,  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  upon  the  railroad  to  destroy  it  effect- 
ually." 

^  "Three  and  One-Half  Miles  East  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  22,  1864. 
"  Major-General  John  A.  Logan,  Commanding  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  : 

"The  enemy  having  evacuated  their  works  in  front  of  our  lines,  the  supposi- 
tion of  Major-General  Sherman  is  that  they  have  given  up  Atlanta,  and  are  retreat- 
ing in  the  direction  of  East  Point. 

"  You  will  immediately  put  your  command  in  pursuit  to  the  south  and  east  of 
Atlanta,  v/ithout  entering  the  town.  You  will  seek  a  route  to  the  left  of  that  taken 
by  the  enemy,  and  try  to  cut  off  a  portion  of  them  while  they  are  pressed  in  the 
Tear  and  on  our  right  bj^  Generals  Schofield  and  Thomas. 

"  Major-General  Sherman  desires  and  expects  a  vigorous  pursuit, 
"Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  "James  B.  McPherson,  Major-General." 


44  MEMOIR   OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

horse  and  rode  down  to  the  headquarters  of  General  Logan,  to  talk 
the  matter  over  with  him  in  person.  General  Logan  was  most 
positive  that  Atlanta  had  not  been  evacuated.  Firing  began 
almost  immediately  between  the  pickets,  when  the  fact  of  an  im- 
pending battle  became  indisputable.  General  Logan  had  already 
prepared  his  troops  for  march,  under  McPherson's  written  order; 
but,  with  the  certainty  of  an  attack,  the  order  of  General  Sherman 
was  disregarded,  and  General  Logan  took  his  command  into  line 
of  battle  under  fire  of  the  enemy.  The  latter  had  made  a  sur- 
prise so  clever  that  in  the  absence  of  the  cavalry  under  Garrard 
upon  McPherson's  flank,  the  orderlies  and  clerks  at  headquarters 
were  formed  into  a  picket,  to  keep  off  the  enemy's  skirmishers  until 
the  headquarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  could  be  moved  to 
a  place  of  safety.  Then  McPherson  rode  over  to  the  commanding 
General's  headquarters,  to  report  the  dispositions  for  the  battle 
that  he  had  made,  in  violation  of  the  order  of  the  early  morning. 
Convinced  of  error  regarding  the  supposed  evacuation  of  Atlanta/ 
the  commanding  General  gave  assent  to  McPherson's  course.  The 
exposed  position  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps  upon  the  left  wing, 
caused  by  the  order  mentioned,  had  not  been  wholly  covered  at 
one  o'clock,  when  McPherson  rode  out  to  see  the  progress  of  affairs. 
In  passing  along  a  narrow  path  he  ran  upon  an  ambuscade,  was 
fired  upon  and  killed. 

Upon  the  death  of  McPherson,  General  Logan,  as  the  senior 
officer  in  rank,  took  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  by 
order  of  the  commanding  General.  No  orders  whatever  were 
issued  to  General  Logan  concerning  the  impending  battle,  or,  if 
issued,  as  afterward  stated,  they  were  never  received  by  him,  and 
therefore  the  severe  battle  of  that  day  was  fought  by  General 
Logan  according  to  his  own  plan  and  under  his  personal  direction. 
Further  still,  the  historic  battle  of  the  22nd  was  fought  almost 
alone  by  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  to  the  gallant  soldiers 
and  officers  composing  it,  led  by  the  irresistible  Logan,  who  cov- 
ered himself  with  unfading  glory  upon  that  eventful  day,  is  due  the 


MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR.  45 

sole  credit  of  the  splendid  victory  which  was  the  prelude  to  the  fall 
of  Atlanta. 

By  his  previous  record  in  all  of  the  hard-fought  battles  of  the 
West  up  to  that  point,  by  his  brilliant  success  in  leading  the  army 
to  victory  upon  that  memorable  22nd  day  of  July,  and  by  his  actual 
seniority  of  rank,  General  Logan  possessed  a  triple  claim  to 
promotion  to  the  permanent  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennes- 
see, for  which  he  was  more  competent  at  that  moment  than  any 
officer  then  in  the  military  division  of  the  Mississippi,  as  has 
already  been  stated  by  General  Grant  in  his  published  "Memoirs."" 
This  claim,  as  is  well  known,  was  disregarded;  and  another  officer, 
General  O.  O.  Howard,  was  called  from  a  different  department,  in 
order  to  be  placed  in  command  of  the  laurel-crowned  Army  of  the 
Tennessee. 

The  sublimity  of  General  Logan's  nature,  and  his  possession  of 
the  qualities  indispensable  to  the  true  soldier,  were  never  more 
brilliantly  demonstrated  than  at  this  threatened  crisis,  for  crisis  it 
could  certainly  have  been  made.  Smarting  under  a  sense  of  the 
injustice  inflicted  upon  their  leader,  many  of  his  gallant  comrades 
advised  him  to  resent  it.  General  Logan  felt  the  sting  most 
keenly,  but  he  was  too  much  of  a  soldier  to  falter  for  a  moment  in 
his  duty  as  a  defender  of  his  country.  Although  the  ex-com- 
mander-ini-general  has  openly  stated  otherwise.  General  Logan  had 
no  personal  ambition  save  that  to  do  his  duty  well;  and  the  strong- 
est refutation  of  the  more  than  insinuation  that  as  a  "political  gen- 
eral "  he  subordinated  duty  to  self-interest,  is  to  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  he  not  only  fell  quietly  back  to  his  old  command,  but 
that  his  influence  was  successfully  exerted  to  induce  his  friends  to 
accept  the  injustice  in  the  lofty  spirit  exhibited  by  himself. 

Under  the  implied  stigma  of  the  injury  now  related  General 
Logan  fought  through  the  war,  and  at  its  close  returned  to  begin 
that  brilliant  legislative  career  of  over  twenty  years  with  which  his 
fellow-citizens  are  now  familiar. 

Some  ten  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  the  "  Memoirs " 'of 


46  MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

General  Sherman  were  published.  The  author's  account  of  the 
events  succeeding  the  death  of  General  McPherson  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

"  But  it  first  became  necessary  to  settle  the  important  question  of  who  should 
succeed  General  McPherson  ?  General  Logan  had  taken  command  of  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  by  virtue  of  his  seniority,  and  had  done  well;  but  I  did  not  consider 
him  equal  to  the  command  of  three  coi-ps.  Between  him  and  General  Blair  there 
existed  a  natural  rivalry.  Both  were  men  of  great  courage  and  talent,  but  were 
politicians  by  nature  and  experience,  and  it  may  be  that  for  this  reason  they  were 
mistrusted  by  regular  officers  like  Generals  Schofield,  Thomas  and  myself.  It  was 
all-important  that  there  should  exist  a  perfect  understanding  among  the  army  com- 
manders, and  at  a  conference  with  General  George  H.  Thomas  at  the  headquarters 
of  General  Thomas  J.  Woods,  commanding  a  division  in  the  Fourth  Corps,  he 
(Thomas)  remonstrated  warmly  against  my  recommending  that  General  Logan 
should  be  regularly  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  by 
reason  of  his  actual  seniority.  We  discussed  fully  the  merits  and  qualities  of  every 
officer  of  high  rank  in  the  army,  and  finally  settled  on  Major-General  O.  O.  How- 
ard as  the  best  officer  who  was  present  and  available  for  the  purpose;  and  on  the 
24th  of  July  I  telegraphed  to  General  Halleck  this  preference,  and  it  was  promptly 
ratified  by  the  President.  General  Howard's  place  in  command  of  the  Fourth 
Corps  was  filled  by  General  Stanley,  one  of  his  division  commanders,  on  the 
recommendation  of  General  Thomas.  All  these  promotions  happened  to  fall  upon 
West  Poiiiters,  and  doubtless  Logan  and  Blair  had  some  reasoti  to  believe  that  we 
intended  to  monopolize  the  higher  honors  of  the  war  for  the  regular  officers.  I 
remember  well  my  own  thoughts  and  feelings  at  the  time,  and  feel  sure  that  I  was 
not  intentionally  partial  to  any  class.  I  wanted  to  succeed  in  taking  Atlanta,  and 
needed  commanders  who  v/ere  purely  and  technically  soldiers,  men  who  would 
obey  orders  and  execute  them  promptly  and  on  time;  for  I  knew  that  we  would  have  to 
execute  some  most  delicate  maneuvers,  requiring  the  utmost  skill,  nicety,  and  pre- 
cision. I  believed  that  General  Ploward  would  do  all  these  faithfully  and  well, 
and  I  think  the  result  has  justified  my  choice.  /  regarded  both  Generals  Logan  and 
Blair  as  '  volunteers,^  that  looked  to  perso7ial  fa)?ie  and  glo7y  as  auxiliary  and  second- 
ary to  their  political  ambition,  and  not  as  p?vfessional  soldiers."^ 

When  these  lines  were  penned,  ten  3rears  had  elapsed  since  the 
occurrence  to  which  they  relate.  General  Logan  had  accepted  the 
injury  done  him  by  a  higher  official,  and  had  honorably  completed 
his  military  service  with  the  expiration  of  the  war.  He  had  buried 
all  personal  feeling  of  disappointment,  and  in  the  halls  of  Congress 
was  rendering  valuable  aid  to  the  difficult  work  of  reconstruction. 
After  the  expiration  of  a  decade  the  ex-commander  of  the  Army  of 


^Sherman's  "Memoirs,"  Vol.  H.,  p.  85.     The  italics  are  not  the  author's. 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTIJOR.  47 

the  West  broke  the  silence  of  past  events  by  the  publication  of  his 
"  Memoirs,"  in  which  General  Logan  was  openly  arraigned  in  the 
terms  above  quoted,  and  that,  too,  in  a  volume  bearing  the  sub- 
stantial character  of  an  ofhcial  record. 

There  need  be  no  concealment  of  the  fact  that  this  last  blov/ 
was  severely  felt  by  General  Logan.  And  yet,  like  the  man  that 
he  was,  he  neither  resented  it  nor  permitted  his  indignant  friends 
to  resent  it  for  him,  although  through  all  those  years  he  possessed 
some  interesting  documents,  which  will  presently  be  given  to  the 
reader.  Representations  of  a  kindly  character  were  made,  how- 
ever, by  friends  to  the  author  of  the  "  Memoirs,"  in  appeal  to  his 
sense  of  justice,  that  he  might  be  induced  to  undo  a  wrong  which, 
with  the  generation  of  men  cognizant  of  the  facts,  was  more  likely 
to  injure  him  than  to  injure  the  object  of  the  attack. 

General  Logan  stifled  the  sense  of  injury  a  second  time,  and 
continued  his  efforts  for  usefulness  to  his  country.  Ten  fateful 
years  again  flevvr  by,  when  a  message  came  to  the  venerated  Logan 
which  took  him  beyond  the  reach  of  life's  fitful  fever  with  all  of 
its  frightful  apparitions. 

In  two  days  after  the  death  of  General  Logan,  the  following 
correspondence  was  given  to  the  New  York  Tribune^  from  which 
paper  it  is  now  reprinted: 

New  York,  Dec,  28,  1886, 
Whitelaw  Reid,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir:  The  recent  sad  and  unexpected  death  of  General  John  A.  Logan 
makes  it  opportune,  in  my  judgment,  to  make  plain  what  otherwise  might  remain 
obscure,  touching  our  personal  relations.  To  this  end  I  prefer  to  make  public  a 
correspondence  between  us  in  the  month  of  February,  1883,  which  resulted  from 
speeches  made  at  the  "Corkhill  Banquet,"  given  me  on  the  8th  of  that  month  in 
Washington,  in  anticipation  of  my  retirement  from  the  active  command  of  the 
army.  There  were  present  at  that  banquet  many  most  distinguished  men: 
Justices  Miller,  Matthev/s,  and  McArthur ;  Senators  Sherman,  Logan,  Hawley,  and 
Allison  ;  Mr.  Speaker  Keifer,  of  the  House  ;  General  Sheridan,  Mr.  Henry  Wat- 
terson,  and  others,  who  responded  to  toasts  and  sentiments.  A  full  account  of  this 
banquet  was  at  the  time  published,  and  I  extract  such  parts  of  the  remarks  made 
by  General  Logan  in  response  to  the  toast  of  "The  Volunteer  Soldier"  as  explain 
the  succeeding  correspondence : 

"They  were  ready  in  the  storm  and  in  the  sunlight;   they  were  ready  in  dark- 


48 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  A  UTHOR. 


ness  or  daylight:  when  orders  came  they  marched,  they  moved,  they  fought; 
whether  their  guns  were  of  the  best  quality  or  not;  whether  their  clothing  was 
adapted  to  their  condition  or  not;  whether  their  food  was  all  they  would  have 
asked  or  not  —  was  not  the  question  with  these  men.  The  question  was,  'Where 
does  Sherman  want  us  to  go,  and  when  must  we  move?'  Sir,  these  men  marched 
with  him  through  valleys,  over  hills  and  mountains,  across  rivers  and  over 
marshes,  and  the  only  question  asked  in  all  these  campaigns  was,  'Where  is  the 
enemy?'  There  were  no  questions  of  numbers  or  time.  And  for  General  Sher- 
man I  will  say  that  there  was  not  a  soldier  who  bore  the  American  flag  or  followed 
it,  not  a  soldier  who  carried  the  musket  or  drew  a  saber,  who  did  not  respect  him 
as  his  commander.  There  was  not  one,  sir,  but  would  have  drawn  his  sword  at 
any  time  to  have  preserved  his  life.  There  is  not  one  to-day,  no  matter  what  may 
be  said,  who  would  dim  in  the  slightest  degree  the  luster  of  that  bright  name, 
achieved  by  ability,  by  integrity,  and  by  true  bravery  as  an  officer.  And  in  con- 
clusion let  me  say  this:  While  that  army,  when  it  was  disbanded,  was  absorbed 
in  the  community  like  rain-drops  in  the  sand  —  all  citizens  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye,  and  back  to  their  professions  and  their  business  —  there  is  not  one  of  these 
men,  scattered  as  they  are  from  ocean  to  ocean,  who  does  not  honor  the  name  of 
the  man  who  led  them  in  triumph  through  the  enemy's  land.  Wherever  he  may 
go,  wherever  he  may  be,  whatever  may  be  his  condition  in  life,  there  is  not  one 
who  would  not  stretch  out  a  helping  hand  to  that  brave  commander  who  led  them 
to  glory.  Speaking  for  that  army,  if  I  may  be  permitted  to  speak  for  it,  I  have  to 
say:  May  the  choicest  blessings  that  God  showers  upon  the  head  of  man  go  with 
him  along  down  through  his  life.  It  is  the  prayer  of  every  soldier  who  served 
under  him." 

GENERAL  SHERMAN  TO  GENERAL  LOGAN. 

"Washington,  D.  C,  Sunday,  Feb.  ii,  1883. 
"Gen.  John  A.  Logan,  U.  S.  Se?tate,   Washington,  D.  C. 

" Dear  General :  This  is  a  rainy  Sunday,  a  good  day  to  clear  up  old  scores, 
and  I  hope  you  will  receive  what  I  propose  to  write  in  the  same  friendly  spirit  in 
which  I  offer  it. 

"  I  was  very  much  touched  by  the  kind  and  most  complimentary  terms  in 
which  you  spoke  of  me  personally  at  the  recent  Corkhill  banquet  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  my  sixty-third  birthday,  and  have  since  learned  that  you  still  feel  a  wish 
that  I  should  somewhat  qualify  the  language  I  used  in  my  Memoirs,  Volume  II., 
pages  85  and  86,  giving  the  reasons  why  General  O.  O.  Howard  was  recommended 
by  me  to  succeed  McPherson  in  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 
when  by  the  ordinary  rules  of  the  service  the  choice  should  have  fallen  on  you.  I 
confess  frankly  that  my  ardent  wish  is  to  retire  from  the  command  of  the  army 
with  the  kind  and  respectful  feelings  of  all  men,  especially  of  those  who  were  with 
me  in  the  days  of  the  Civil  War,  which  must  give  to  me  and  to  my  family  a  chief 
claim  on  the  gratitude  of  the  people  of  the  United  States. 

"I  confess  that  I  have  tortured  and  twisted  the  words  used  on  the  pages 
referred  to,  so  as  to  contain  my  meaning  better  without  offending  you,  but  so  far 
without  success.  I  honestly  believe  that  no  man  to-day  holds  in  highei  honor 
than   myself  the  conduct  and  action  of  John  A.  Logan  from  the  hour  when  he 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  A  L'TJIOR. 


49 


realized  that  the  South  meant  war.  Prior  to  the  war  all  men  had  doubts,  but  the 
moment  Fort  Sumter  was  fired  on  from  batteries  in  Charleston  these  doubts  dissi- 
pated as  a  fog,  and  from  that  hour  thenceforth  your  course  was  manly,  patriotic, 
and  sublime.  Throughout  the  whole  war  I  know  of  no  single  man's  career  more 
complete  than  yours. 

"  Now  as  to  the  specific  matter  of  this  letter.  I  left  Vicksburg  in  the  fall  of 
1863  by  order  of  General  Grant  in  person,  with  three  divisions  of  my  own  corps 
(Fifteenth)  and  one  of  McPherson's  (Sixteenth),  to  hasten  to  the  assistance  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  (General  Rosecrans  commanding),  which  according  to  the 
then  belief  had  been  worsted  at  Chickamauga.  Blair  was  with  us,  you  were  not. 
We  marched  through  mud  and  water  four  hundred  miles  from  Memphis,  and  you 
joined  me  on  the  march  with  an  order  to  succeed  me  in  command  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  a  Presidential  appointment,  which  Blair  had  exercised  temporarily.  Blair 
was  at  that  time  a  member  of  Congress,  and  was  afterward  named  to  command 
the  Seventeenth  Corps,  and  actually  remained  so  long  in  Washington  that  we  had 
got  to  Big  Shanty  before  he  overtook  us.  Again,  after  the  battles  of  Missionary 
Ridge  and  Knoxville,  when  Howard  served  with  me,  I  went  back  to  Vicksburg 
and  Meridian,  leaving  you  in  command  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps  along  the  railroad 
from  Stevenson  to  Decatur.  I  was  gone  three  months,  and  when  I  got  back  you 
complained  to  me  bitterly  against  George  H.  Thomas  that  he  claimed  for  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland  everything  and  almost  denied  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  any 
use  of  the  railroads.  I  sustained  you,  and  put  all  army  and  corps  commanders  on 
an  equal  footing,  making  their  orders  and  requisitions  of  equal  force  on  the  depot 
officers  and  railroad  officials  in  Nashville.  Thomas  was  extremely  sensitive  on 
that  point,  and,  as  you  well  know,  had  much  feeling  against  you  personally,  which 
he  did  not  conceal.  You  also  went  to  Illinois  more  than  once  to  make  speeches 
and  were  so  absent  after  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  at  the  time  we  started  for  Savan- 
nah, and  did  not  join  us  until  we  had  reached  Savannah. 

"  Now  I  have  never  questioned  the  right  or  propriety  of  you  and  Blair  hold- 
ing fast  to  your  constituents  by  the  usual  methods;  it  was  natural  and  right,  but  it 
did  trouble  me  to  have  my  corps  commanders  serving  two  distinct  causes,  one 
military  and  the  other  civil  or  political;  and  this  did  influence  me  when  I  was 
forced  to  make  choice  of  an  army  commander  to  succeed  McPherson.  This  is  all 
I  record  in  my  Memoirs;  it  was  so,  and  I  cannot  amend  them.  Never  in  speech- 
writing,  or  record,  surely  not  in  the  Memoirs,  do  I  recall  applying  to  you  and  Blair, 
for  I  always  speak  of  you  together,  the  term  of  'political  general.'  If  there  be 
such  an  expression  I  cannot  find  it  now,  nor  can  I  recall  its  use.  The  only  place 
wherein  the  word  '  politics '  occurs  is  in  the  pages  which  I  have  referred  to,  and 
whereon  I  explain  my  own  motive  and  reason  for  nominating  Howard  over  you 
and  Blair  for  the  vacant  post.  My  reason  may  have  been  bad;  nevertheless,  it 
was  the  reason  which  decided  me  then,  and  as  a  man  of  honor  I  was  bound  to 
record  it.  At  this  time,  1883,  Thomas  being  dead,  I  cannot  say  any  more  than  is 
in  the  text,  viz.:  that  he  took  strong  ground  against  you,  and  I  was  naturally 
strongly  influenced  by  his  outspoken  opinion.  Still  I  will  not  throw  off  on  him, 
but  state  to  you  frankly  that  I  then  believed  that  the  advice  I  gave  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  the  best  practicable.  General  Howard  had  been  with  me  up  to  Knoxville,  and 
had  displayed  a  zeal  and  ability  which  then  elicited  my  hearty  approbation;  and  as 


50  MEAIOIR  OF  THE  A  UTHOR. 

I  trusted  In  a  measure  to  skillful  maneuvers  rather  than  to  downright  hard  fight- 
ing, I  recommended  him.  My  Memoirs  were  designed  to  give  the  impressions  of 
the  hour,  and  not  to  pass  judgment  on  the  qualities  of  men  as  exemplified  in  after 
life. 

"  If  you  will  point  cut  to  me  a  page  or  line  where  I  can  better  portray  your 
fighting  qualities,  your  personal  courage,  and  magnificent  example  in  actual  com- 
bat, I  will  be  most  happy  to  add  to  or  correct  the  Memoirs;  but  when  I  attempt  to 
explain  my  own  motives  or  reasons,  you  surely  will  be  the  first  man  to  see  that 
outside  influence  will  fail. 

"  My  course  is  run,  and  for  better  or  worse  I  cannot  amend  it;  but  if  ever  in 
your  future  you  want  a  witness  to  your  intense  zeal  and  patriotism,  your  heroic 
personal  qualities,  you  may  safely  call  on  me  as  long  as  I  live.  I  surely  have 
watched  with  pride  and  interest  your  career  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  will 
be  your  advocate  if  you  aim  at  higher  honors.  I  assert  with  emphasis  that  I  never 
styled  you  or  Blair  'political  generals,'  and  if  I  used  the  word  'politics'  in  an 
offensive  sense,  it  was  to  explain  my  own  motives  for  action,  and  not  as 
descriptive. 

"Wishing  you  all  honor  and  happiness  on  this  earth,  I  am,  as  always,  your 
friend,  W.  T,  Sherman." 

GENERAL  LOGAN  TO  GENERAL  SHERMAN. 

"Personal.  United  States  Senate, 

"Washington,  D.  C,  Sunday,  February  i8,  1883. 
"  General  W.  T.  Sherman. 

"  My  Dear  Sir:  I  have  delayed  acknowledging  your  letter  of  the  iith  inst.  up 
to  this  time,  for  the  reason  that  I  have  been  so  much  engaged  every  moment  of 
time  that  I  could  not  sooner  do  so.  For  your  expression  of  kindly  feelings  toward" 
me,  I  tender  my  grateful  acknowledgments. 

"  I  am  inclined,  however,  my  dear  General,  to  the  opinion  that,  had  you  fully 
understood  the  situation  in  which  I  was  placed  at  the  times  mentioned  by  you, 
that  I  returned  North  from  the  army  for  the  purpose  of  taking  part  in  the  political 
contests  then  going  on,  that  perhaps  your  criticism  on  my  then  course  would  not 
have  been  made.  I  did  not  do  it  for  the  purpose  of  'keeping  a  hold  on  my 
people.'  I  refused  a  nomination  in  my  own  State  for  a  very  high  position,  for  the 
reason  that  I  would  not  have  anything  to  do  with  parties  while  the  war  should 
last.  In  1863,  when  \  went  home  to  canvass  in  Illinois,  and  to  help  in  Ohio,  Gen- 
eral Grant  was  fully  advised,  and  knows  that,  although  I  had  to  make  application 
for  leave  of  absence,  I  did  not  do  it  of  my  own  volition,  but  at  the  request  of  those 
high  in  authority.  So  when  I  left  on  leave,  after  the  Atlanta  campaign,  to  can- 
vass for  Mr.  Lincoln,  I  did  it  at  the  special  and  private  request  of  the  then  Presi- 
dent. This  I  kept  to  myself,  and  have  never  made  it  public;  nor  do  I  propose  to 
do  so  now,  but  feel  that  I  may  in  confidence  say  this  to  you,  that  you  may  see 
what  prompted  my  action  in  the  premises.  I  have  borne,  for  this  reason,  what- 
ever I  may  have  suffered  by  way  of  criticism,  rather  than  turn  criticism  on  the 
dead. 

"  So  far  as  General  Thomas  having  feeling  in  the  matter  you  mention,  I  pre- 
sume he  entertained  the  same  feeling  that  seemed  to  be  general,  that  no  one  with- 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR.  51 

out  a  military  education  was  to  be  trusted  to  command  an  army.  This,  I  think, 
was  the  feeling  then,  and  is  now,  and  will  ever  be;  I  find  no  fault  with  it.  This, 
as  a  rule,  is  probably  correct,  but  the  experience  f)f  the  world  has  occasionally 
found  exceptions  to  this  rule.  I  certainly  never  gave  General  Thomas  any  occa- 
sion to  have  strong  feelings  against  me.  I  did  complain  that  I  was  not  on  an 
equality  with  him  while  I  commanded  between  Decatur  and  Stevenson,  that  my 
passes  on  the  roads  were  not  recognized,  and  I  have  General  Thom?,s'  letter 
afterward,  admitting  the  fact,  and  apologizing  to  me  for  the  conduct  of  his  officers 
in  this  matter.  I  at  all  times  cooperated  with  him  cordially  and  promptly  during 
my  stay  at  Huntsville,  and  at  all  other  times  subsequent.  Certainly  I  did  for  him 
afterward  what  few  men  would  have  done.  When  ordered  to  Nashville  with  a 
view  of  superseding  him,  at  Louisville,  when  I  found  the  situation  of  matters,  I 
Avrote  and  telegraphed  Grant  that  he,  Thomas,  was  doing  all  he  could,  and  asked 
to  be  ordered  back  to  my  own  command,  which  was  done.  This  I  say  to  show 
my  kind  feeling  for  him,  and  to  say  that  if  I  ever  did  anything  to  cause  him  to 
complain  of  me,  I  was  not  aware  of  it. 

"One  thing,  my  dear  General,  that  I  feel  conscious  of,  and  that  is  that  no 
man  ever  obeyed  your  orders  more  promptly,  and  but  few  ever  did  you  more 
faithful  service  in  carrying  out  your  plans  and  military  movements  than  myself. 

"  I  may  have  done  yourself  and  myself  an  injustice,  by  not  disclosing  to  you 
the  cause  of  my  returning  North  at  the  time  I  did,  but  you  have  my  reasons  for  it, 
I  felt  in  honor  that  I  could  rest. 

"This  letter  is  intended  only  for  full  explanation,  and  for  yourself  only.  I 
do  not  feel  aggrieved,  as  you  think,  but  wall  ever  remain  your  friend. 

"Yours  truly, 

John  A.  Logan." 

I  now,  with  reverence  for  his  memory,  admiration  for  his  heroism  in  battle, 
and  love  for  the  man,  hereby  ratify  and  confirm  every  word  of  his  letter  of  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1883. 

I  was  fully  conscious  that  General  Logan  felt  deeply  what  he  believed  at  the 
time  a  great  wrong  to  himself,  and  that  he  yet  continued,  with  unabated  ardor, 
zeal,  and  strength,  to  fight  to  the  end  for  the  cause  w'e  both  held  sacred.  For  the 
twent3'-one  years  since  the  war  has  ended  we  have  been  closely  associated  in  the 
many  arm)^  societies  which  treasure  the  memories  of  the  war,  have  shared  the 
same  banquets,  and  spoken  to  the  same  audiences.  Only  recently,  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, Seattle,  and  Rock  Island,  we  were  together,  each  a  rival  to  give  pleasure 
and  do  honor  to  the  other;  and  still  later,  within  the  past  month,  he  was  at  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  his  rooms  next  to  mine,  and  not  a  night  passed  but  we  were 
together  discussing  old  or  new  events.  Both  of  us  were  men  of  strong  opinions, 
sometimes  of  hasty  expression,  yet  ever  maintaining  the  friendship  which  two 
soldiers  should  bear  to  each  other.  Most  undoubtedly  did  I  expect  him  to  survive 
me,  and  I  have  always  expressed  a  wish  that  he,  the  then  strongest  type  of  the 
volunteer  soldier  alive,  might  become  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

It  is  ordered  otherwise;  but  as  it  is,  he  has  left  to  his  family  a  name  and 
fame  which  could  have  been  little  increased  had  he  lived  to  attain  the  office  for 
which  so  many  good  men  contend,  spite  of  the  experience  of  the  past. 


52  MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR 

When  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  holds  its  next  meeting,  in 
Detroit,  next  September,  if  living,  I  may  have  more  to  say  on  this  subject. 

Your  friend,  W.  T.  Sherman. 

The  reader  will  not  fail  to  note  that  in  the  open,  frank,  personal 
letter  of  General  Logan,  under  date  of  February  i8,  1883,  he 
explains  to  his  former  commander  the  true  secret  of  his  absence 
from  the  army  and  of  his  presence  in  the  North  during  certain 
political  campaigns,  which  secret  reveals  the  simple  fact  that  the 
absence  was  not  in  compliance  with  his  own  desire,  but  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  personal  request  of  President  Lincoln.  He  takes  pains 
to  state  in  the  letter  that  he  had  never  made  this  request  public, 
and  that,  having  no  purpose  to  do  so,  he  had  '*  suffered  criticism, 
rather  than  turn  criticism  on  the  dead." 

A  perusal  of  the  correspondence,  as  published  in  the  Tribune, 
will  prompt  the  impartial  reader  to  ask  why,  if  it  were  meant 
to  render  belated  justice  to  General  Logan,  it  was  not  published 
with  the  consent  of  the  General  while  living ;  or  why,  publication 
being  delayed  until  after  his  decease,  it  was  not  published  with  the 
consent  of  his  family  and  friends.  If  there  were  any  possible  vin- 
dication in  the  communication  of  General  Sherman  herein  quoted, 
General  Logan  would  never  have  availed  himself  of  it  under  the 
possible  necessity  of  being  compelled  to  divulge  a  secret  which, 
without  the  knowledge  of  attendant  circumstances,  might  tarnish 
the  fame  of  a  martyred  hero,  nor  would  General  Logan's  friends, 
with  full  knowledge  of  his  sentiments,  have  consented  to  the  pub- 
lication after  his  death  of  a  confidence  that  he  had  guarded  so 
religiously  during  life. 

The  pure  character  and  unselfish  official  career  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  need  no  further  eulogy  from  his  countrymen  to  insure 
just  appreciation  of  that  great  man,  at  the  present  day  or  in 
future  time,  but  the  connection  is  a  suitable  one  in  which  to  offer 
such  remarks  upon  the  political  incidents  of  General  Logan's  mili- 
tary life  as  may  here  be  made. 

The  following    quotation    from    the    "  Memoirs "   of   General 


MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR.  53 

Grant  (vol.  I.,  p.  243)  will  recall  General  Logan's  political  position 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  and  furnish  the  key  to  the  subsequent 
difficult  position  in  which  he  was  placed  : 

"  The  ten  regiments  which  had  volunteered  in  the  State  service 
for  thirty  days,"  says  General  Grant,  "  it  will  be  remembered,  had 
done  so  with  a  pledge  to  go  into  the  National  service  if  called  upon 
within  that  time.  When  they  volunteered,  the  Government  had 
only  called  for  ninety  days'  enlistments.  Men  were  called  now  for 
three  years  or  the  war.  They  felt  that  this  change  of  period 
released  them  from  the  obligations  of  re-volunteering.  When  I 
was  appointed  colonel,  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  was  still  in  the 
State  service.  About  the  time  they  were  to  be  mustered  into  the 
United  States  service  —  such  of  them  as  would  go  —  two  members 
of  Congress  from  the  State,  McClernand  and  Logan,  appeared  at 
the  capital,  and  I  was  introduced  to  them.  I  had  never  seen  either 
of  them  before,  but  I  had  read  a  great  deal  about  them,  and  par- 
ticularly about  Logan,  in  the  newspapers.  Both  were  Democratic 
members  of  Congress,  and  Logan  had  been  elected  from  the  South- 
ern district  of  the  State,  where  he  had  a  majority  of  eighteen  thousand 
over  his  Republican  competitor.  His  district  had  been  settled  originally 
by  people  from  the  Southern  States,  and  at  the  breaking-out  of 
secession  they  sympathized  with  the  South.  At  the  first  outbreak 
of  war  some  of  them  joined  the  Southern  army;  many  others  were 
preparing  to  do  so  j  others  rode  over  the  country  at  night  denouncing  the 
Union.,  and  made  it  as  necessary  to  guard  railroad  bridges  over  tvhich  the 
Natio7ial  troops  had  to  pass  in  Southern  Illinois  as  it  ivas  in  Ketitucky  or 
any  of  the  border  slave  States,  Logan's  popularity  in  this  district  was 
unbounded.  He  knew  almost  enough  of  the  people  by  their  Christian  names 
to  form  a?i  ordinary  Congressional  district.  As  he  went  in  politics,  so  his 
district  was  sure  to  go.  The  Republican  papers  had  been  demanding 
that  he  should  announce  where  he  stood  on  the  questions  which  at 
that  time  engrossed  the  whole  of  public  thought.  Some  were  very 
bitter  in  their  denunciations  of  his  silence.  Logan  was  not  a  man 
to  be  coerced  into  an  utterance  by  threats.     He  did,  hov/ever,  come 


54  MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

out  in  a  speech  before  the  adjournment  of  the  special  session  of 
Congress  which  was  convened  by  the  President  soon  after  his 
inauguration,  and  announced  his  undying  loyalty  and  devotion  to 
the  Union.  But  I  had  not  happened  to  see  that  speech,  so  that 
when  I  first  met  Logan  m}^  impressions  were  those  formed  from 
reading  denunciations  of  him.  The  gentleman  who  presented 
these  two  members  of  Congress  asked  me  if  I  would  have  any 
objections  to  their  addressing  my  regiment.  I  hesitated  a  little 
before  answering.  It  was  but  a  few  days  before  the  time  set  for 
mustering  into  the  United  States  service  such  of  the  men  as  were 
willing  to  volunteer  for  three  years  or  for  the  war.  I  had  some 
doubt  as  to  the  effect  a  speech  from  Logan  might  have,  but  as  he 
was  with  McClernand,  whose  sentiments  on  the  all-absorbing 
questions  of  the  day  were  well  known,  I  gave  my  consent.  Mc- 
Clernand spoke  first,  and  Logan  followed  in  a  speech  which  he  has 
hardly  equaled  since  for  force  and  eloquence.  //  breathed  a  loyalty 
and  devotion  to  the  Union  which  inspired  viy  men  to  such  a  poitit  that  they 
toould  have  volunteered  to  remain  in  the  artny  as  long  as  an  enemy  of  the 
country  continued  to  bear  arms  against  it.  They  entered  the  United  States 
service  almost  to  a  man. 

"  General  Logan  went  to  his  part  of  the  State  and  gave  his 
attention  to  raising  troops.  The  very  men  who  at  first  made  it  neces- 
sary to  guard  the  roads  in  Southern  Illinois  became  the  defenders  of  the 
Union.  Logan  entered  the  service  himself,  as  colonel  of  a  regiment,  and 
rapidly  rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general.  His  district,  which  had 
promised  at  first  to  give  much  tj'ouble  to  the  Government,  filled  every  call 
made  upon  it  for  troops  without  resorting  to  the  draft.  There  was  no  call 
made  when  there  were  not  more  volunteers  than  were  asked  for.  That 
Congressional  district  stands  credited  at  the  War  Department  to- 
day with  furnishing  more  men  for  the  army  than  it  was  called  upon  to 
supply." 

This  frank  and  generous  statement  of  the  great  commander  of 
the  Union  hosts  sets  forth  in  forcible  terms  the  political  influence 
which  Genera]  Logan  possessed  at  the  outbreak  of  hostilities,  and 


MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR.  55 

the  inestimable  service  that  this  single  man  rendered  to  his  imper- 
iled country.  Mucli  could  be  added  to  it,  in  illustration  of  the 
sacrifices  of  a  personal  nature  that  he  was  compelled  to  make  in 
adopting  the  course  pursued.  Full  justice  for  these  sacrifices 
must  be  left  to  his  biographers  proper. 

The  remarkable  power  possessed  by  General  Logan  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war  was  added  to,  year  by  year,  until  the  period 
of  his  death;  and  it  came  to  be  recognized  that  as  Logan  went,  so 
went  not  only  his  old  district,  but  also  the  State  of  Illinois.  His 
following  then,  and  in  all  of  the  after  years,  was  so  largely  personal 
in  character,  that  a  very  grave  political  question,  it  is  to  be  feared, 
has  been  presented  to  his  party  by  his  premature  taking-off. 

But  to  resume  the  principal  topic.  The  preliminary  proclama 
tion  of  emancipation  had  been  issued  upon  the  22d  of  September 
1862,  and  the  fall  elections  of  that  year  had  resulted  in  the  defea 
of  the  Republicans  in  the  pivotal  States  of  New  York,  Ohio,  Ind' 
ana,  and  Illinois.  Upon  the  ist  of  January,  1863,  the  formal  Proi  - 
lamation  of  Emancipation  was  issued.  It  is  unnecessary  in  this 
connection  to  dwell  upon  the  position  of  the  Government  at  *.hat 
time.  No  one  knew  better  than  President  Lincoln  himself  the 
legal  weakness  of  that  proclamation,  and  probably  no  one  foresaw 
more  clearly  than  he  its  possible  effects  in  alienating  the  war  ele- 
ment of  the  Northern  Democrats  from  the  support  of  the  Admin- 
istration in  the  prosecution  of  hostilities.  As  the  year  v/ore  on, 
and  the  fall  elections  once  more  approached,  the  danger  of  a 
majority  in  the  Lower  House  adverse  to  the  continuance  of  the 
war  began  seriously  to  be  felt.  It  was  a  period  of  deep  appre- 
hension with  those  realizing  the  situation.  At  such  a  crisis  what 
was  more  natural  than  that  the  Administration,  in  the  effort  to 
avail  itself  of  every  agency  in  the  election  of  a  Congress  that 
would  vote  the  means  necessary  to  carry  on  the  war,  should 
request  the  man  who  had  shown  himself  possessed  of  the  mag- 
netic power  in  Illinois,  described  by  General  Grant,  and  who  was 
known  to  be  almost  as  influential  in  the  neighboring  State  of  Indi- 


56  MEMOIR   OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

ana,  more  doubtful  in  loyalty  still  than  Logan's  own  State,  to  come 
bacic  for  a  short  period,  in  order  to  lend  as  effective  aid  to  the  Union 
at  home  as  any  single  man  could  possibly  render  at  the  front? 

General  Logan  had  resigned  a  seat  in  Congress,  to  which  he 
had  been  just  elected,  to  go  to  the  war.  He  had  been  importuned 
in  the  summer  of  1862  to  return  from  the  army,  and  to  again 
accept  a  seat  in  Congress.  This  request  had  been  refused  by  him 
in  a  letter  of  lofty  patriotism,  in  which  he  declared  that  he  could 
have  no  political  aspiration  while  the  war  lasted.  But,  to  further 
the  cause  of  the  Union,  he  returned  for  a  brief  period  in  1863,  to  a 
duty  at  home  which  no  one  could  perform  as  well  as  he. 

In  the  fall  of  1864  the  Presidential  question  was  again  impend- 
ing, and,  though  Atlanta  had  fallen,  the  opposition  to  the  war  had 
grown  to  alarming  proportions,  and  through  its  nomination  of  a 
former  Union  general,  the  result  of  the  election  seemed  not  at  all 
assured  to  the  Republicans.  Another  appeal  was  made  to  the  man 
who,  on  forum  and  field,  had  proven  himself  a  Colossus  in  defense 
of  country.  Again  he  returned  to  his  home,  and  after  the  election 
of  an  Administration  pledged  to  a  maintenance  of  the  Union,  and 
to  the  prosecution  of  the  war  until  the  defeat  of  rebellion  had 
become  an  accomplished  fact,  he  went  back  to  his  active  command, 
and  remained  in  the  field  until  the  close  of  hostilities. 

It  hardly  need  be  said  that  the  call  upon  General  Logan  by 
President  Lincoln  in  no  sense  implied  the  base  personal  motive 
that  has  been  imputed  to  it  since  the  ill-advised  publication  of  the 
private  letters  between  the  first-named  and  General  Sherman,  in 
1883.  The  prime  object  of  the  patriotic  Lincoln  and  his  co-labor- 
ers was  to  save  the  Union  by  placing  its  destinies  in  the  hands  of 
its  friends. 

The  foregoing  relation  covers  the  precise  basis  upon  which  the 
charge  that  Logan  was  a  "  political  general  "  rests.  The  author  of 
General  Sherman's  "Memoirs,"  in  his  letter  of  February  11,  1883, 
heretofore  given,  distinctly  denies  using  the  word  "politics"  in  the 
work  mentioned  as  applied  to  Generals  Logan  and  Blair,  anywhere 


MEMOIR   OF   riJE  AUTHOR.  57 

else  than  as  used  in  the  pages  which  have  already  been  quoted, 
The  following  paragraph,  however,  is  to  be  found  in  the  ''Mem- 
oirs" (vol.  II.,  page  130): 

**  All  the  army,  officers  and  men,  seemed  to  relax  more  or  less, 
and  sink  into  a  condition  of  idleness  "  [after  the  capture  of 
Atlanta].  "General  Schofield  was  permitted  to  go  to  Knoxville, 
to  look  after  the  matters  in  his  department  of  the  Ohio,  and  Gen- 
erals Blair  and  Logan  went  home  to  look  after  politics." 

Is  there  no  sarcasm  in  that  closing  sentence  ?  Had  they  failed 
to  go  home  "  to  look  after  politics  "  in  assistance  of  other  efficient 
workers  at  the  home  end  of  the  contest,  what  condition,  it  may  be 
asked,  might  have  confronted  the  brave  boys  in  blue  at  the  very- 
beginning  of  "  the  march  to  the  sea  "  ? 

Now  that  the  admission  of  General  Logan's  letter  to  General 
Sherman,  of  February  18,  1883,  has  been  made  public,  the 
reminder  will  be  permitted  that  General  Grant  in  his  "Memoirs" 
corroborates  the  assertion  of  the  letter,  though  the  contained  fact 
is  delicately  and  impersonally  stated  in  the  following  words: 
"  Generals  Logan  and  Blair  commanded  the  two  corps  composing 
the  right  wing.  About  this  time  they  left  to  take  part  in  the  Pres- 
idential election  which  took  place  that  year,  leaving  their  corps  to 
Osterhaus  and  Ransom.  I  have  no  doubt  that  their  leaviftg  was  at  the 
earnest  solicitation  of  the  War  Department."  (Memoirs  of  General 
Grant,  vol,  II.,  p.  352.) 

Arrived  at  this  point,  new  evidence  of  General  Logan's  remark- 
able character  will  be  presented  to  demonstrate  not  only  that  he 
was  one  of  the  'most  unselfish  and  one  of  the  most  punctiliously 
honorable  of  men,  but  also  that  he  possessed  those  very  features 
of  strict  subordination  and  unambitious  patriotism  that  should  ever 
characterize  the  soldier  of  the  Republic.  The  documents  now  to 
be  given  were  in  General  Logan's  possession  from  the  date  they 
bear  to  the  period  of  his  death.  They  tell  an  interesting  story, 
the  disclosure  of  which  is  fully  warranted  by  the  publication  of 
General  Logan's  private  letter  of  February  18,  1883, 


58  MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

The  battle  of  Atlanta  had  been  fought  and  won  on  the  22nd  of 
July,  1864,  by  General  Logan  and  the  superb  Army  of  the  Tennes- 
see, The  General  had  executed  a  most  brilliant  and  perilous 
movement,  under  cover  of  darkness,  upon  the  night  of  July  27,  by 
which  his  army  was  swung  into  a  new  and  better  position.  His 
soldiers  were  filled  with  enthusiasm  for  their  daring  and  brilliant 
leader,  and  they,  as  well  as  he,  expected  that  he  would  be  given 
the  promotion  to  which  he  was  entitled.  Instead  of  receiving  this 
promotion,  however,  a  West  Point  officer  was  called  from  a 
department  of  the  East,  though  then  personally  present  in  the  West, 
and  placed  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  in  contra- 
vention of  the  equities  of  the  case,  as  also  of  the  interests  of  the 
country.  As  a  supplement  to  this  act  the  author  of  General  Sher- 
man's "  Memoirs  "  (published,  as  before  said,  ten  years  after  the  close 
of  the  war)  declared,  in  explanation  of  the  motive  through  which 
General  Logan  was  deprived  of  the  promotion,  that  he,  the  author, 
did  not  consider  General  Logan  '■''equal  to  the  command  of  three  corps.'' 

The  following  documents  will  give  the  opinion  of  the  author  of 

the  "  Memoirs  "  at  the  date  of  the  occurrence  itself: 

"Headquarters  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi, 
"In  the  Field,  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  27,  1864. 
"  General  John  A.  Logan. 

^'■Dear  General :  Take  a  good  rest.  I  know  j'ou  are  worn  out  with  mental  and 
physical  work.  No  one  could  have  a  higher  appreciation  of  the  responsibility  that 
devolved  on  you  so  unexpectedly,  and  the  noble  manner  in  which  you  met  it.  I 
fear  you  will  feel  disappointed  at  not  succeeding  permanently  to  the  command  of 
the  army  and  department,  I  assure  you,  in  giving  preference  to  General  Howard 
I  will  not  fail  to  give  you  every  credit  for  having  done  so  well.  You  have  com- 
mand of  a  good  corps,  a  command  that  I  would  prefer  to  the  more  complicated 
one  of  a  department,  and  if  you  will  he  patient  it  ivill  come  to  you  soon  enough.  Be 
assured  of  vty  entire  confidence. 

"After  you  have  rested  come  down  to  General  Davis'  position,  and  then  to  the 
new  position  of  your  corps.  Assume  command  of  it,  and  things  will  move  along 
harmoniously  and  well.  If  I  can  do  anything  to  mark  my  full  sense  of  the  honor- 
able manner  in  which  you  acted  in  the  battle  and  since,  name  it  to  me  frankly 
and  I  will  do  it.  General  Howard  and  I  will  go  off  to  the  right,  to  survey  the 
new  field  and  prepare  the  way  for  the  troops.  Your  friend, 

"W.  T.  Sherman,  Major-General.  " 

The  italics  are  not  part  of  the  original  document. 


MEMOIR   OF    THE   AUTHOR.  59 

It  will  be  observed  that  this  letter  breathes  a  tone  of  confi- 
dence not  to  be  mistaken  in  the  military  ability  of  General  Logan, 
while  the  open  assurance  that  if  the  latter  would  be  patient  "the 
more  complicated  command  of  a  department"  would  come  soon 
enough,  discloses  the  commanding  General's  opinion  of  General 
Logan  as  a  soldier  after  the  battle  of  Atlanta.  This  opinion  stands 
in  remarkable  contrast  with  the  statement  of  the  "  Memoirs " 
above  quoted,  viz.:  that  the  commanding  General  failed  to  pro- 
mote General  Logan  to  the  vacant  post  because  he  did  not  con- 
sider him  equal  to  the  command  of  rhree  corps.  General  Logan 
had  commanded  three  corps  that  very  day,  and  had  won  a  brilliant 
victory.  The  prestige  of  actual  demonstration  already  belonged 
to  him.  Nor  will  the  further  tribute  of  the  above  letter  to  General 
Logan's  character  pass  the  observant  reader.  So  impressed  was 
the  commander  with  the  noble  bearing  of  his  subordinate,  that  he 
expressed  h>s  entire  willingness  to  do  anything  that  he  could  to 
mark  his  full  sense  of  the  honorable  manner  in  which  he  (General 
Logan)  "had  acted  in  the  battle  and  since." 

This  was  not  the  first  expression  made  by  the  same  officer 
upon  General  Logan's  capabilities  as  a  soldier.  The  latter,  it  will 
be  remembered,  had  been  named  brigadier-general  for  gallant  ser- 
vices, at  the  instance  of  General  Grant,  and  his  confirmation  to 
this  rank  was   made  March  3d,  1862.  In  the  operations  before 

Corinth,  General  Logan's  brigade  was  placed  under  orders  of 
General  Sherman,  and  in  the  affairs  of  May  28th  and  29th,  1862, 
General  Logan's  services  were  of  such  importance  as  to  elicit  the 
warm  acknowledgments  of  his  superiors.  These  were  made  in  an 
official  report,  dated  May  30th,  in  which  report  General  Sherman 
says:  "I  feel  under  special  obligation  to  this  officer.  General  Logan, 
who,  during  the  two  days  he  served  under  me,  held  critical  ground 
on  my  right,  extending  down  to  the  railroad.  All  that  time  he 
had  in  his  front  a  large  force  of  the  enemy,  but  so  dense  was  the 
foliage  that  he  could  not  reckon  their  strength  save  from  what  he 
could  see  on  the  railroad  track." 


6o  MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

The  narrative  is  momentarily  interrupted  at  this  point  with 
the  purpose  to  relate  an  incident  before  Corinth  which  is  strongly 
illustrative  of  the  military  sagacity  of  General  Logan,  and  which 
also  places  in  contrast  the  practical  acumen  of  the  volunteer  with 
the  set  methods  and  the  dogmatic  rules  of  the  mere  academic 
soldier. 

When  the  advance  was  being  slowly  but  cautiously  made  upon 
Corinth,  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  General  Logan,  being  stationed 
near  the  railroad,  was  induced,  through  circumstances  related  by 
some  of  his  men,  to  believe  that  the  rebels  were  evacuating  Cor- 
inth. With  ears  to  the  rails  he  could  hear  through  the  quiet  of 
the  night  trains  entering  Corinth  empty  and  going  out  loaded. 
Satisfied  that  the  enemy  was  about  to  retreat,  he  informed  General 
Grant  of  his  belief,  who  reported  it  to  General  Halleck,  then  at 
the  head  of  the  Western  Department  as  organized  at  that  time. 
General  Halleck  impatiently  declared  that  General  Logan  was 
mistaken,  and  substantially  said  that,  being  only  a  "volunteer,  he 
did  not  know  Avhat  he  was  talking  of."  A  little  later  Logan 
assured  himself  more  firmly  than  before  of  the  correctness  of  his 
opinion,  and  again  reported  it  through  Grant  to  the  General  com- 
manding. Halleck,  with  an  oath,  declared  that  the  enemy  was 
receiving  reinforcements  with  every  incoming  train,  and  that  the 
next  day  would  witness  a  fierce  battle.  Further  than  this,  he  unre- 
servedly told  General  Grant  that  if  Logan  sent  any  more  reports 
of  that  kind  he  would  have  him  placed  under  arrest.  This  is 
stated  upon  undeniable  authority,  though  General  Grant,  in  his 
own  "  Memoirs,"  with  his  usual  charity,  omits  this  part  of  the  facts 
in  relating  the  occurrence. 

When  day  returned  and  the  General  commanding  the  Union 
forces  ventured  a  reconnoissance,  it  was  found  that  the  enemy  had 
fled  from  Corinth,  and  thus  it  became  demonstrated  that,  had  the 
advice  of  the  volunteer  General  to  attack  at  once  been  followed, 
the  rebel  army,  surprised  at  night  upon  the  retreat,  would,  in  all 
probability,  have  been  wholly  captured,  and    the  war  abbreviated 


MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR.  6 1 

in  consequence  by  a  very  considerable  period  of  time.  This  sad  mis- 
take was  made,  not  by  a  volunteer  officer,  but  by  General  Halleck, 
the  "  Old  Brains  "  of  the  regular  army. 

After  the  battle  of  Raymond,  which  was  so  splendidly  won  by 
Logan  and  his  brave  men  through  the  impetuous  assault  upon  the 
rebel  line  under  Gregg,  General  Logan's  ability  was  so  manifest 
that  Grant  has  said  of  him  at  this  stage  of  his  career  as  follows  : 
"■  I  regarded  Logan  and  Crocker  as  being  as  competent  division 
commanders  as  could  be  found  in  or  out  of  the  army,  and  both 
equal  to  a  much  higher  command."  (Memoirs  of  General  Grant, 
vol.  I.,  p.  497.) 

After  the  brilliant  series  of  battles  that  finally  led  to  the  fall 
and  occupation  of  Vicksburg,  in  all  of  which  General  Logan  bore 
a  conspicuous  part,  the  great  leader  of  the  Union  armies,  who  was 
no  less  generous  than  great  —  an  attribute  which,  it  may  be  said 
in  passing,  is  an  inseparable  accompaniment  of  all  real  greatness 
—  records  his  admiration  of  General  Logan's  military  genius  in 
the  statement  that  he  ''ended  the  campaign  fitted  to  command  an  in- 
dependent army."     (Memoirs,  vol.  L,  p.  573.) 

This  was  the  testimony  of  General  Grant,  that  superb  man  and 
soldier,  in  July,  1863,  while  the  private  letter  of  General  Sherman, 
under  date  of  July  27,  1864,  above  given,  not  only  bore  a  like  testi- 
mony, but  declared  that  the  command  itself  would  come  soon 
enough,  with  patience. 

It  is  well  known  to  the  reader  familiar  with  the  history  of  the 
Civil  War  that  General  Hooker,  a  brilliant  West  Point  officer,  then 
commanding  the  Twentieth  Army  Corps  of  the  Military  Division  of 
the  Mississippi,  under  General  Sherman,  also  expected  to  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  that 
because  he  failed  to  receive  it  he  sulked  and  asked  to  be  relieved  of 
his  command  during  the  advance  upon  the  enemy.  * 

This  action  of  General  Hooker  created  much  sensation  among 
regular  army  officials,  while  the  palpable  injustice  done  to  General 
Logan  and  his  lofty  bearing  under  the  wound  gave  rise  to  com- 


62  MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

ments  that  induced  the  commanding  General  to  again  attempt  the 

defense  of  his  course.     Under  date  of  August  i6,  something  more 

than  a  fortnight  after  the  first  letter  to  General  Logan,  heretofore 

given,  General   Sherman    addressed   to   him   a   communication   of 

which  the  following  is  a  verbatim  copy,  with  the  exception  of  the 

italics  : 

"Headquarters  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi, 

"In  the  Field, ,  August  i6,  1864. 

"  General  Logan  :  I  made  a  letter  (official)  to  the  War  Department,  explanatory 
of  certain  matters  personal  to  yourself  and  others,  and  instructed  Dayton  to  fur- 
nish you  a  copy.  He  says  he  has  done  so.  I  intended  to  have  sent  it  you  with  a 
private  note.  I  think  my  official  letter  ought  to  be  satisfactory  to  you,  and  if  so,  you 
are  at  liberty  to  furnish  a  copy  of  the  part  relating  to  yourself  to  yonr  friends  at  home, 
and  you  may  even  publish  the  part  named.  But  keep  the  original  and  be  careful  not 
to  give  copy  of  the  part  relating  to  Hooker  to  any  person.  The  War  Department  has 
a  right  to  the  fullest  intelligence,  but  it  is  not  well  to  publish  our  opinions  when 
controverted,  as  they  lead  to  discussions  which  cannot  do  any  good;  but  I  do  think, 
as  between  you  and  Hooker,  no  soldier  or  gentleman  tvill  hesitate  to  say  that  if  I  did 
injustice  to  either  or  both,  you  have  best  vindicated  yourself  by  standing  fast.  You 
will  7iever  lose  by  such  a  course,  and  I  hope,  even  notu,  you  feel  so. 

"Your  friend, 

"W.  T.  Sherman." 

The  official  report  which  accompanied  this  second  letter  is  as 
follows  : 

"Headquarters  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi, 

"In  the  Field  Near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  August  16,  1864. 
"Major-General  Halleck,  Chief  of  Staff,  Washington,  D.  C: 

"Gejzeral:  It  occurs  to  me  that  preliminary  to  a  future  report  of  the  history  of  this 
campaign,  I  should  record  certain  facts  of  great  personal  interest  to  officers  of  this 
command. 

"  General  McPherson  was  killed  by  the  musketry  fire  at  the  beginning  of  the 
battle  of  July  22.  He  had  in  person  selected  the  grounds  for  his  troops,  constitut- 
ing the  left  wing  of  the  army  ;  I  being  in  person  with  the  center  —  General 
Schofield. 

"The  moment  the  information  reached  me  I  sent  one  of  my  staff  to  announce 
the  fact  to  General  John  A.  Logan,  the  senior  officer  present  with  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  with  general  instructions  to  maintain  the  ground  chosen  by  McPherson 
if  aossible,  but  if  pressed  too  hard  to  refuse  his  left  flank  ;  but  at  all  events  to  hold 
the  railroad  and  main  Decatur  road  ;  that  I  did  not  propose  to  move  or  gain 
ground  by  that  flank,  but  rather  by  the  right ;  and  that  I  wanted  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  to  fight  it  out  unaided.  General  Logan  admirably  conceived  my 
orders  and  executed  them,  and  if  he  gave  ground  on  the  left  of  the  Seventeenth 
Corps  it  was  properly  done  by  my  orders  ;    but  he  held  a  certain  hill  by  the  right 


MEMOIR    OF    TIJE   AUTJIOR.  63 

division  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  the  only  j^iound  on  that  line  the  possession  of 
which  by  an  enemy  would  have  damaged  us  by  giving  a  reverse  fire  on  the  remain- 
der of  the  troops.  General  Logan  fought  that  battle  out  as  required,  unaided  ; 
save  by  a  small  brigade  sent  by  my  orders  from  General  Schofield  to  the  Decatur 
road,  well  to  the  rear,  when  it  was  reported  the  enemy's  cavalry  had  got  into  the 
town  of  Decatur  and  was  approaching  directly  on  the  rear  of  Logan;  but  that 
brigade  was  not  disturbed,  and  was  replaced  that  night  by  a  part  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps  next  to  Schofield,  and  Schofield's  brigade  brought  back  so  as  to  be  kept 
:ogether  on  its  own  line.  General  Logan  managed  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
well  during  his  command,  and  it  may  be  that  an  unfair  inference  might  be  drawn 
to  his  prejudice  because  he  did  not  succeed  to  the  permanent  command.  I  was 
lorced  to  choose  a  commander  not  only  for  the  army  in  the  field,  but  of  the 
Department  of  the  Tennessee,  covering  a  vast  extent  of  country,  with  troops  well 
dispersed.  It  was  a  delicate  and  difficult  task,  and  I  gave  preference  to  Major- 
General  O.  O.  Howard,  then  in  command  of  the  Fourth  Army  Corps,  in  the  De- 
partment of  the  Cumberland.  Instead  of  giving  my  reasons,  I  prefer  that  the 
wisdom  of  the  choice  be  left  to  the  test  of  time. 

"  The  President  kindly  ratified  my  choice,  and  I  am  willing  to  assume  the 
responsibility.  I  meant  no  disrespect  to  any  officer,  and  hereby  declare  that 
General  Logan  submitted  with  the  grace  and  dignity  of  a  soldier,  gentleman,  and 
patriot,  resumed  the  command  of  his  corps  proper  (Fifteenth),  and  enjoys  the  love 
and  respect  of  his  army  and  his  commanders.  It  so  happened  that  on  the  28th  of 
July  I  had  again  thrown  the  same  army  to  the  extreme  right,  the  exposed  flank, 
when  the  enemy  repeated  the  same  maneuver,  striking  in  mass  the  extreme  corps 
deployed  in  line,  and  refused  as  a  flank  (the  Fifteenth,  Major-General  Logan)  and 
he  commanded  in  person.  General  Hov/ard  and  myself  being  near,  and  that 
corps  as  heretofore  reported,  repulsed  the  rebel  army  completely,  and  next  day 
advanced  and  occupied  the  ground  fought  o^'er,  and  the  road  the  enemy  sought  to 
cover.  General  Howard,  who  had  that  very  day  assumed  his  new  command,  une- 
quivocally gives  General  Logan  all  the  credit  possible,  and  I  also  beg  to  add  my 
most  unqualified  admiration  of  the  bravery,  skill,  and  nerve,  more  yet,  good  sense, 
that  influenced  him  to  bear  a  natural  disappointment,  and  do  his  whole  duty  like  a 
man.  If  I  could  bestow  on  him  substantial  reward  it  would  afford  me  unalloyed 
satisfaction,  but  I  do  believe  in  the  consciousness  of  acts  done  from  noble  im- 
pulses, and  gracefully  admitted  by  his  superiors  in  authority,  he  will  be  contented. 

"  He  already  holds  the  highest  known  commission  in  the  army,  and  it  is  hard 
to  say  how  we  can  better  manifest  our  applause. 

"At  the  time  of  General  Howard's  selection  Major-General  Hooker  com- 
manded the  Twentieth  Army  Corps  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  made  up  for 
his  special  accommodation  out  of  the  old  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps,  whereby 
Major-General  Slocum  was  deprived  of  his  corps  command.  Both  the  law  and 
practice  are  and  have  been  to  fill  vacancies  in  the  higher  army  commands  by 
selection.  Rank  or  dates  of  commission  have  not  controlled,  nor  am  I  aware  that 
any  reflection  can  be  inferred  unless  the  junior  be  placed  immediately  over  the 
senior;  but  in  this  case  General  Hooker's  command  was  in  no  way  disturbed. 
General  Howard  was  not  put  over  him,  but  in  charge  of  a  distinct  and  separate 
army,  no  indignity  was  offered  or   intended,  and  I  must  say  that  General  Hooker 


64  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

was  not  justified  in  retiring.  At  all  events,  had  he  spoken  or  written  to  me,  I 
would  have  made  every  explanation  and  concession  he  could  have  expected,  but 
could  not  have  changed  my  course,  because,  then  as  now,  I  believed  it  right  and 
for  the  good  of  our  country  and  cause.  As  a  matter  of  justice.  General  Slocum, 
having  been  displaced  by  the  consolidation,  was  deemed  by  General  Thomas 
as  entitled  to  the  vacancy  created  by  General  Hooker's  voluntary  withdrawal,  and 
has  received  it.  With  great  respect, 

"W.  T.  Sherman, 
"  Major-General  Commanding. 
"  Official  Copy. 

"  L.  M.  Dayton,  Aide-de-Camp." 

The  interesting  character  of  these  documents  will  appear  at 
a  glance.  They  tell  a  faithful  story  of  the  prevailing  indigna- 
tion caused  by  the  injustice  done  to  the  gallant  Logan,  while  they 
bring  their  author  to  the  witness-stand  in  defense  of  the  injured 
man.  No  praise  could  be  greater  than  that  so  freely  bestowed 
upon  him  who  proved  conclusively  by  his  conduct  through  the 
bitter  ordeal  that,  as  a  man,  his  character  was  most  lofty  ;  that  as  a 
soldier,  he  was  the  peer  of  any  of  his  contemporaries ;  and  that, 
as  a  patriot,  his  whole  impulse  was  most  unselfish.  After  perusal 
of  these  documents,  it  seems  difficult  indeed  to  realize  that  the 
writer  of  General  Sherman's  ^'  Memoirs  "  could  have  publicly  de- 
clared the  opinion  that  General  Logan  as  an  officer  was  incompetent 
to  command  "three  corps,"  and  that  he  could  more  than  intimate 
that,  as  a  soldier,  he  subordinated  the  military  character  to  political 
ambition.  In  view  of  the  resentful  course  pursued  by  the  West 
Pointer,  General  Hooker,  the  writer  of  the  letter  of  August  i6  was 
ready  to  affirm  that,  if  he  had  done  injustice  to  either  (Logan  or 
Hooker),  Logan  had  best  vindicated  himself  by  standing  fast.  A  volume 
could  render  no  higher  tribute  to  the  soldier  than  these  few  words 
of  the  commanding  General. 

A  curious  confirmation  of  this  testimony  is  presented  by  another 
letter,  which  may  now  be  given  to  the  public,  since  it  leaves  its 
author  in  no  worse  position  than  his  published  record  in  this  con- 
nection has  already  left  him. 

If  the  West  Point  officer  commanding  the  Military  Division  of 
the  Mississippi  was  lavish  in  his  tributes  to  the  great  volunteer,  the 


MEMOIR    OF    THE  AUTHOR.  6^ 

professional  soldier,  who  believed  himself  a  victim  of  the  same 
blow  dealt  to  General  Logan,  was  not  less  sparing  of  praise  when 
declaring  that  he  could  have  remained  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Logan  without  the  sacrifice  of  honor  and  principle. 

The  following  document  completes  the  list  of  papers  herein 
presented  to  the  public  as  part  of  the  history  of  this  remarkable 
occurrence; 

"Headquarters  Twentieth  Corps,  Army  of  the  Cumberland, 

"Near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  27,  1864. 
"  Major-General  Logan. 

"Dear  General :  On  receiving  news  this  morning  that  Major-General  Howard 
had  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  your  army,  I  asked  to  be  relieved  from  duty 
with  this  army,  it  being  an  insult  to  my  rank  and  services.  Had  you  retained  the 
command  I  could  have  retnained  on  duty  without  the  sacrifice  of  honor  or  of  principle. 
As  it  is,  God  bless  and  protect  you.  We  will  meet  when  this  war  is  over. 
"Your  friend  and  servant,  Joseph  Hooker, 

"Major-General." 

As  a  continuing  climax  to  this  overwhelming  array  of  testi- 
mony in  proof  of  General  Logan's  splendid  military  ability,  the 
following  statement  of  the  great  captain  of  the  Union  armies  may 
here  be  quoted: 

"  Logan  felt  very  much  aggrieved  at  the  transfer  of  General 
Howard  from  that  portion  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  which  was 
then  with  the  Western  Army,  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  with  which  General  Logan  had  served  from  the  battle 
of  Belmont  to  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  having  passed  successively 
through  all  the  grades  from  colonel  commanding  a  regiment  to 
general  commanding  a  brigade,  division,  and  army  corps,  until 
upon  the  death  of  McPherson  the  command  of  the  entire  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  devolved  upon  him  in  the  midst  of  a  hotly-contested 
battle.  He  conceived  that  he  had  done  his  full  duty  as  a  com- 
mander in  that  engagement,  and  I  can  bear  testimony  from  per- 
sonal observation  that  he  had  proved  himself  fully  equal  to  all  the 
lower  positions  which  he  had  occupied  as  a  soldier,  I  will  not 
pretend  to  question  the  motive  which  actuated  Sherman  in  taking 


66  MEMOIR    OF   THE  AUTHOR. 

an  officer  from  another  army  to  supersede  General  Logan.  I  have 
no  doubt  whatever  that  he  did  this  for  what  he  considered  would 
be  to  the  good  of  the  service,  which  was  more  important  than  that 
the  personal  feelings  of  any  individual  should  not  be  aggrieved; 
though  I  doubt  whether  he  had  an  officer  ivith  him  who  could  have  filled 
the  place  as  Logan  would  have  done."^ 

A  point  in  the  career  of  General  Logan  which  bears  closely 
upon  the  subject  under  consideration  remains  to  be  touched 
upon. 

The  General  commanding  the  Military  Division  of  the  Missis. 
sippi  had  told  General  Logan,  in  his  letter  of  July  27,  1864,  herein 
quoted,  that  the  command  of  a  Department  would  come  soon 
enough  to  him  (Logan),  if  he  would  but  be  patient.  Within  less 
than  six  months  thereafter,  the  prediction  was  fulfilled  in  a  wholly 
unexpected  manner.  The  incident  about  to  be  related  has  received 
many  versions,  but,  owing  to  the  modesty  of  General  Logan,  no 
one  of  them  has  been  wholly  correct.  The  authentic  account 
is  now  given  of  an  act  which  of  itself  is  sufficient  to  prove  the 
singularly  pure  character  of  General  Logan,  and  to  furnish  a 
triumphant  release  from  the  false  position  in  which  he  was 
placed  before,  and  the  doubly  embarrassing  one  in  which  he  was 
fixed  after,  the  publication  of  the  *'  Memoirs  "  of  General  Sherman. 

When  the  march  to  the  sea  was  about  to  be  commenced,  the 
rebel  General  Hood  was  left  in  the  rear  of  General  Sherman's 
army,  under  the  expectation  that  General  Thomas  would  be  well 
able  to  take  care  of  him.  Thomas  was  at  Nashville,  and  Hood 
boldly  invested  the  position  of  the  latter  at  that  point  General 
Grant,  with  the  fear  that  Hood  would  succeed  in  passing  north  of 
the  Cumberland  River,  and  thus  create  a  panic  in  the  Northern^ 
States,  became  very  urgent  that  Thomas,  whose  force  was  superior 
to  that  of  Hood's,  should  move  against  the  latter.  Thomas 
delayed  until  Grant  threatened  to  displace  him  if  he  did  not 
move  at  once.     Even  this  menace  did  not  induce  him  to  give  bat- 


^Memoirs  of  General  Grant,  vol.  II.,  page  353. 


MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR,  67 

tie  to  the  enemy.  Upon  this  state  of  the  case  General  Grant  sent 
General  Logan,  whom  the  former  says  in  his  "Memoirs  "  he  "knew 
to  be  a  gallant  and  efficient  officer,"  to  I'elieve  Thomas  at  Nashville. 
Logan  took  the  order,  as  bound  to  do  by  duty,  and  started  to  the 
West;  but,  instead  of  proceeding  to  Nashville  with  all  haste  he 
remained  in  Cincinnati  for  some  time,  with  the  purpose  of  giving 
Thomas  a  fair  opportunity  to  move  if  he  intended  to.  Reaching 
Louisville  on  the  17th  of  December,  General  Logan  found  that 
news  had  just  arrived  there  of  Thomas'  brilliant  battle  of  the  15th, 
which  news  he  immediately  telegraphed  to  General  Grant,  and 
prepared  to  return  to  his  own  command  under  Sherman. 

Growing  out  of  this  occurrence,  a  question  was  subsequently 
raised  in  the  interest  of  General  Schofield,  who  at  that  time  com- 
manded the  Army  of  the  Ohio.  This  question  lasted  long  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  and  drew  forth  two  letters  from  General  Grant 
to  General  Logan  upon  the  subject,  dated  respectively  January  25, 
1884,  and  February  14,  1884.  As  tending  still  further  to  place 
General  Logan's  magnanimous  course  in  this  episode  wholly 
beyond  question,  extracts  from  both  letters  mentioned  are  here 
given: 

"  New  York  City,  January  25,  1884, 
"General  John  A.  Logan,  WAsraNGTON,  D.  C. 

'■'My  Dear  Genei-al :  *  *  *  P.  S.  I  recollect  some  years  after  the 
Rebellion  that  General  Schofield  asked  me  if  I  intended  his  supersedure  by  your 
going  to  relieve  General  Thomas,  and  that  I  told  him  I  had  not.  He  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio  by  assignment  of  the  President,  and  General 
Thomas  was  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  by  a  similar  assign- 
ment. The  two  armies  coming  together  naturally  fell  under  Thomas,  who  was 
the  senior.  Whether  your  order,  as  written,  would  have  given  you  command  of 
the  whole  without  regard  to  seniority,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  say  now  without 
seeing  the  order.  If  it  did  not,  you  would  naturally  have  commanded  the  whole 
by  reason  of  seniority  if  you  were  the  senior,  and  my  recollection  is  you  were. 
General  Schofield,  I  remember,  was  appointed  a  major-general  before  you  were, 
but  not  confirmed  by  the  Senate,  and  was  not,  if  my  recollection  serves  me  right, 
confirmed  as  a  major-general  when  I  took  command  of  the  military  division,  but 
I  assigned  him  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  and  he  was  afterwards 
confirmed,  but  I  do  not  know  of  what  date. 

"  Very  truly  yours,  U.  S.  Grant, 

"  Per  F.  F.  Wood." 


68  MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

"United  Bank  Building,  Wall  Street  and  Broadway, 
"  New  York,  February  14,  1884. 
"  Hon.  John  A.  Logan,  U.  S.  Senate,  Washington,  D.  C. 

^'  Dear  Sir:  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  nth,  I  have  to  say  that  my  re- 
sponse must  be  from  memory  entirely,  having  no  data  at  hand  to  refer  to,  but  in 
regard  to  the  order  for  you  to  go  to  Louisville  and  Nashville  for  the  purpose  of 
relieving  General  Thomas,  I  never  thought  of  the  question  of  who  should  com- 
mand the  combined  armies  of  the  Cumberland  and  the  Ohio.  I  was  simply  dis- 
satisfied with  the  slowness  of  General  Thomas'  moving,  and  sent  you  out  with 
orders  to  relieve  him.  No  doubt  if  the  order  had  been  carried  out  the  question 
would  immediately  have  arisen  as  to  who  was  entitled  to  the  combined  command, 
provided  General  Schofield  was  senior  in  rank  to  you,  which  I  do  not  know  that 
he  was.  I  know  that  his  confirmation  as  a  major-general  took  place  long  after 
yours,  but  I  do  not  know  the  date  of  his  commission.  The  question  in  that  case 
of  the  command  of  the  whole  would  have  been  settled  in  a  very  few  hours  by  the  use 
of  the  telegraph  between  Nashville  and  Washington.  I  was  in  Washington  when 
you  arrived  at  Louisville  and  telegraphed  me  that  General  Thomas  had  moved,  and, 
as  I  remember  the  telegram,  expi'essing  gratification  that  he  had  done  so.  I  was  then  on 
my  way  to  Nashville  myself,  and  remained  over  a  day  in  Washington  hoping  that 
Thomas  might  still  move.  Of  course  I  was  gratified  when  I  learned  that  he  had 
moved,  because  it  was  a  very  delicate  and  unpleasant  matter  to  remove  a  man  of 
General  Thomas'  character  and  standing  before  the  country,  but  still  I  had  urged 
him  so  long  to  move  that  I  had  come  to  think  it  a  duty. 

"Of  course  in  sending  you  to  relieve  General  Thomas  I  meant  no  reflection 
whatever  upon  General  Schofield,  who  was  commanding  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  be- 
cause I  thought  that  he  had  done  very  excellent  service  in  punishing  the  entire 
force  under  Hood  a  few  days  before,  some  twenty-five  miles  south  of  Nash- 
ville. Very  truly  yours, 

"  U.  S.  Grant, 

"  Per  Frank  F.  Wood." 

The  italics  do  not  appear  in  the  original  document. 

This  testimony,  offered  by  General  Grant  himself,  will  shed 
additional  luster  upon  the  character  of  John  A.  Logan,  the 
unselfish,  unambitious,  patriotic  volunteer  of  the  Rebellion.  Had 
General  Logan  really  been  a  spurious  soldier,  compounded  of 
political  influence  and  military  pretension;  had  it  been  true  that 
he  entered  the  army  to  subserve  personal  and  political  ambition, 
this  was  the  opportunity  that  he  would  have  eagerly  embraced  to 
grasp  not  only  the  command  of  a  single  army  department,  but  a 
possible,  and  perhaps  a  probable,  double  command  of  the  combined 
armies  of  Thomas  and  Schofield.  General  Logan,  being  well 
aware,  too,  at  the  time  of  its  occurrence,  of  the  circumstance  sub- 


MEMOIR   OF   THE  AUTHOR.  69 

sequently  stated  in  the  "Memoirs"  of  General  Sherman,  viz.:  that 
General  Thomas  had  determinedly  remonstrated  with  the  com- 
mamier  of  the  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi  against  the  pro- 
motion of  the  former  to  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee, made  vacant  by  the  death  of  McPherson,  would  have  here 
found  the  presenting  opportunity,  not  only  to  subserve  the  aspira- 
tions of  a  vaulting  ambition,  but  also  to  administer  retributive 
justice,  or  injustice,  as  one  may  view  the  case. 

A  professional  soldier  of  the  stamp  so  well  depicted  in  the 
present  volume  might  have  grasped  the  opportunity  with  eager 
haste.  But  General  Logan  was  not  that  sort  of  soldier.  He  had  no 
petty  feelings  of  revenge  in  the  make-up  of  his  noble  character. 
He  never  met  an  enemy  in  that  kind  of  way.  He  believed  Thomas 
to  be  capable  and  that  his  delay  in  moving  was  unavoidable.  The 
volunteer  soldier  scorned  to  win  preferment  at  the  expense  of  a 
competent  officer.  The  horse  may  be  led  to  the  water,  but  he 
cannot  be  compelled  to  drink.  General  Logan  started  to  comply 
with  the  order  of  his  chief,  but  he  delayed  its  execution  in  order 
to  give  General  Thomas  every  opportunity  to  save  his  reputation, 
and  when  information  of  Thomas'  victory  reached  him  at  Louisville 
he  telegraphed  the  news  to  General  Grant  and  expressed  his  satis- 
faction Avith  the  result,  as  will  now  be  seen  by  the  letters  just  given. 

This  plain  recital  of  facts  not  to  be  disproved  sweeps  away 
many  aspersions  against  General  Logan  and  places  him  before  his 
countrymen  upon  a  pinnacle  of  greatness.  No  fair  judge,  after 
learning  the  indisputable  truth,  can  fail  to  accord  to  him  the  quali- 
ties of  a  rare  military  genius  and  of  a  man  of  remarkable  personal 
character. 

There  are  men  too  ungenerous  to  acknowledge  an  error,  and 
there  are  others  too  selfish  to  entertain  the  idea  of  even-handed 
justice,  much  less  to  give  it  practical  application.  All  men  are 
liable  to  err  in  judgment.  Says  the  Hippocratic  maxim,  "Art  is 
long,  life  is  short,  experience  deceptive,  and  judgment  difficult."  If 
a  mistake  as  to  General  Logan's  military  and  personal  character 


70  MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

had  been  made,  how  nobler  would  its  prompt  and  frank  acknowl- 
edgment have  been  ? 

Standing  in  the  clearer  light  of  the  present  day  and  under  the 
full  illumination  of  all  the  facts  connected  with  the  injury  done  to 
the  volunteer  soldier  in  the  person  of  General  Logan,  can  any  one 
fail  to  recognize  its  true  cause  in  the  moving  influence  and  inspira- 
tion of  the  professional  military  man,  the  product  of  a  system 
whose  evil  character  has  been  so  well  depicted  and  so  strongly 
arraigned  by  General  Logan  in  the  present  volume  ?  General  Grant, 
"an  accident  of  the  system,"  was  one  of  the  most  capable  soldiers 
America  has  produced,  and,  while  possessed  of  the  sterling  genius 
of  a  great  leader,  he  was  also  endowed  with  the  high  impulses  and 
the  generous  nature  of  a  true  soldier.  He  made  the  mistakes  com- 
mon to  humanity,  but  there  is  no  instance  upon  record  showing 
him  to  have  been  slow  in  recognizing  and  in  acknowledging 
them. 

No  purpose  is  here  entertained  to  assault  personal  motives  nor 
to  make  acrimonious  charges  against  personal  character.  The  full 
statement  of  the  facts  connected  with  the  grossest  injury  ever 
done  to  General  Logan  has  been  made  in  this  paper  with  the  prin- 
cipal purpose  to  render  tardy  justice  to  his  character  in  a  volume 
which  will,  probably,  reach  every  military  reader  of  the  country, 
as  well  as  all  civilians  having  an  interest  in  public  affairs  ;  and  it 
has  been  made  with  the  secondary  purpose  to  offer  the  incident 
itself  as  one  of  the  strongest  proofs  possible  to  be  adduced  of  the 
errors  of  our  present  military  system,  so  ably  discussed  by  Gen- 
eral Logan  in  the  present  work.  There  is  reason  to  suppose 
that  the  commander  of  the  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi 
had  no  wish  to  injure  General  Logan  personally;  and  there  is 
every  inducement  to  believe  that  his  action  in  the  case  was  purely 
the  outgrowth  of  his  professional  military  education.  It  has  been 
said  in  these  pages  and  elsewhere  that  General  Braddock,  the  pro- 
fessional officer,  could  not  accept  the  advice  of  the  volunteer 
soldier  and  aide,  George  Washington,  "  because  the  military  edu- 


MEMOIR   OF   rilE  AUTHOR.  7 1 

cation  "  of  the  former  "  was  against  it."  In  the  case  of  the  flagrant 
wrong  perpetrated  upon  the  volunteer  General  John  A.  Logan  by 
the  regular  oflficer  we  are  presented  with  a  glaring  instance  of  the 
dangers  of  an  exclusive  military  establishment  as  ''  the  repository 
of  the  military  knowledge  of  the  country  ;  "  and  we  are  urgently 
admonished  thereby  of  the  necessity  to  correct  the  system  by  dif- 
fusing military  education  among  the  people  at  large,  and  by  com- 
mitting the  defense  and  honor  of  the  country  to  their  safer 
keeping. 

The  life-work  of  the  lamented  Logan  is  completed.  He  died 
after  a  long  public  service,  with  the  honors  of  an  appreciative 
people  thickly  heaped  upon  him.  No  mere  sketch  like  the  present 
could  do  more  than  outline  his  great  character  and  touch  upon 
the  prominent  points  of  his  splendid  career.  He  was  not  wholly 
understood  by  his  contemporaries,  and  by  many  he  was  wholly 
misconceived.  Removed  from  the  arena  of  life,  and  safe  from  the 
attacks  caused  by  personal  promptings,  he  will  be  better  known 
and  understood  in  the  future  as  his  extraordinary  character  is 
more  fully  depicted  and  his  great  Services  to  the  country  become 
more  familiarized  to  the  people  at  large.  He  was  the  equal  in 
many  of  his  forensic  attributes  of  such  statesmen  and  orators  as 
Jefferson,  Hamilton,  Webster,  and  Clay;  while  a  comprehensive 
survey  of  his  military  character  and  record  will  not  fail  to  inspire 
the  belief  that  he  was  possessed  of  great  military  possibilities. 
With  prescience  as  great  as  that  of  Wellington,  the  inspiration 
of  his  leadership  was  as  marvelous  as  that  of  Napoleon  I. 
With  all  the  ability  of  the  former  to  plan  a  campaign,  he  was  as 
irresistible  in  its  execution  as  the  latter.  Like  Napoleon  at  Lodi, 
and  elsewhere,  he  led  his  troops  to  the  fight.  Unlike  many  great 
generals,  he  never  directed  them  from  the  rear. 

Under  the  restrictions  of  our  system  it  is  difficult  to  call  into 
full  development  the  inherent  military  genius  of  the  simple  Amer- 
ican citizen;  while,  by  reason  of  the  non-military  character  of  the 
Government  itself,  but  little  opportunity  is  offered  to  create  great 


72  MEMOIR   OF    THE  AUTHOR. 

leaders  whose  qualities  as  soldiers  may  bear  comparison  with  the 
noted  conquerors  of  the  older  world. 

The  author  of  this  volume,  speaking  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  volunteer  soldier,  has  exhibited  to  the  view  of  his  readers  the 
discrimination  of  the  Government  —  as  directed  by  the  regular 
army  influence  —  against  the  citizen-soldier;  while  the  incident  con- 
nected with  his  own  military  career,  already  dvv^elt  upon  in  this 
memoir,  whereby  his  rise  to  more  important  commands  indisput- 
ably was  arrested  by  reason  of  his  non-professional  military  char- 
acter, gives  practical  exemplification  of  the  disheartening  condi- 
tions under  which  inborn  military  talent  is  compelled  to  fight  its 
way  to  recognition. 

Upon  the  other  side  of  the  case,  though  the  military  opportu- 
nities of  the  nation  are  unstintedly  held  out  to  the  professional  sol- 
diers educated  at  its  National  Academy,  the  extensive  and  con- 
tinued practice  of  war,  so  necessary  to  the  achievement  of  super- 
lative military  eminence,  is  lacking  under  the  traditional  peace 
policy  of  the  American  Government.  It  was  the  opinion  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  as  it  has  been,  also,  of  other  noted  modern 
captains,  that  Hannibal,  in  consideration  of  all  his  attributes,  is 
entitled  to  be  deemed  the  greatest  soldier  ever  produced  in  any 
age  or  country.  But  Hannibal  was  reared  in  a  camp  from  the  age 
of  eleven  years,  and  accompanied  his  father,  a  distinguished  sol- 
dier, in  all  of  the  latter's  campaigns.  Bonaparte  himself  was  upon 
the  battle-field  during  nearly  the  whole  period  of  his  adult  life  up 
to  the  time  of  his  permanent  imprisonment.  No  such  opportuni- 
ties as  those  possessed  by  the  soldiers  named  for  acquiring  the 
art  of  war  can  be  extended  under  a  form  of  government  similar 
to  our  own. 

The  circumstances  noted  render  it  impossible  to  estimate  Gen- 
eral Logan's  military  genius  to  the  full  extent.  Had  the  military 
power  of  the  Government  been  as  firm  in  the  support  of  the  volun- 
teer during  the  recent  war  as  it  was  of  the  West  Point  soldier,  the 
whole  military  aspect  of  the  Rebellion  might  have  been  different 


MEMOIR    01'    TJJE   AWIJIOR.  73 

from  that  which  it  actually  bore.  That  he  possessed  the  instinct  of 
the  soldier  to  a  remarkable  degree,  instructively  as  well  as  amus- 
ingly appears  from  the  well-attested  incident  of  his  appearance 
upon  the  battle-field  of  the  first  Bull  Run,  to  which  he  had  hurried 
from  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Representatives  while  it  was  still  in 
session,  and  in  broadcloth  suit  and  high  silk  hat  performing  ser- 
vice as  a  private,  with  a  gun  borrowed  from  a  wounded  soldier. 
His  bravery,  courage,  dash,  energy,  sagacity,  and  magnetism  ren- 
dered him  one  of  the  most  successful  officers  —  and,  considering 
his  grade  and  position,  perhaps  the  most  successful  officer — that 
the  civil  conflict  produced.  Had  he  been  unhampered  by  the  pre- 
vailing prejudice  against  the  volunteer;  had  rank  and  command 
been  accorded  to  him  as  his  developing  merits  warranted,  and 
strict  justice  required,  the  war  would  have  been  considerably 
abbreviated  in  duration,  and  the  person7iel  of  its  great  actors 
would  have  been  somewhat  changed. 

With  enthusiastic  warmth  General  Logan  has  applauded  the 
services  of  General  Henry  Knox,  the  great  artillerist  of  the  Revo- 
lution as  well  as  the  first  War  Secretary  of  the  new  nation;  and 
he  has  closed  his  eulogy  with  a  tribute  to  the  latter's  character 
both  beautiful  and  just.  In  concluding  this  memoir  no  more 
fitting  summary  of  the  character  of  John  A.  Logan  can  be  found 
than  that  embraced  in  the  words  that  he  has  applied  to  General 
Knox  : 

"  He  was  an  American  volunteer,  a  distinguished  soldier,  an 
eminent  statesman,  and  an  admirable  civilian."  Surely  no  "higher 
meed  of  praise  can  be  rendered  to  any  of  the  world's  toilers 
than  this." 

Washington,  D.  C,  March  i,  1887. 


'•^ijM^"'' ,i' j»f<^'<«^l- 


CAMP  LlFt    AT   COfllMTH. 


■■'St^ 


Hl'SPtlAL  St^ElME. 


,FORACIN<i. 


Scenes  from  Army  Life. 


(Hii 

VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER 

OF  AMERICA. 


75 


PREFATORY    NOTE. 


THE  following  pages  have  been  written  amid  the 
engrossing  cares  and  occupations  of  an  official 
life.  The  labor  involved  in  their  preparation  has  con- 
stituted a  pleasant  task  for  the  writer,  since  they  cover 
a  subject  which  has  ever  been  near  his  heart — the 
glories  as  well  as  the  interests  of  the  volunteer 
soldiery  of  America. 

No  more  fascinating  theme  than  that  presented  by 
the  citizen  of  the  United  States,  when,  leaving  the  pur- 
suits of  peaceful  life,  he  arrays  himself  in  the  garb  of 
the  soldier  and  takes  the  field  in  defense  of  country  and 
principle,  can  be  found  in  any  chapter  of  the  world's 
history.  It  is  wholly  safe  to  say  that  in  his  character 
of  defender  of  right  and  justice,  with  no  feature  of  the 
despoiler  and  oppressor,  and  in  his  attributes  of  lofty 
patriotism,  of  unselfish,  inflexible,  and  enduring  courage, 
of  patience  under  suffering,  and  of  moderation  under 
victory,  and  finally  of  effectiveness  in  the  dread  perils, 
the  sudden  surprises,  and  the  capricious  results  of 
battle,  he  has  had  no  faithful  counterpart  in  any  age 
of  the  world. 

Pleasant  as  has  been  the  author's  task,  however, 
he  has  performed  it  under  the  continuous  pressure  of  a 
regret,    that    some    other,    with     more   abundant   leisure 


^g  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

and   a   more   eloquent   pen   than   he   possesses,   has   not 
undertaken  it. 

As  the  writer  has  endeavored  to  show  in  the  body 
of  this  volume,  the  volunteer  soldier,  standing  for  and 
in  place  of  a  permanent  army  —  that  curse  of  monar- 
chies, and  despoiler  of  the  liberties  of  the  masses  —  is 
the  Atlas  upon  whose  broad  shoulders  are  safely  borne 
our  republican  institutions;  and,  while  no  occasion 
exists  for  magnifying  the  importance  of  this  basic 
element  of  our  national  fabric,  yet  there  does  exist  an 
imperative  demand,  not  only  that  it  should  be  sur- 
rounded with  conditions  to  insure  its  gfreatest  effective- 
ness  in  the  service  of  the  government  —  thus  displaying 
wisdom  in  the  interest  of  the  general  people  —  but  also 
that  enlarged  measures  in  the  interest  of  the  soldier 
himself  may  be  made  to  reflect  the  appreciation  as  well 
as   the   high   justice   belonging   to   the   American   name. 

That  our  present  system  of  military  organization  and 
instruction  is  wrong  in  that  it  is  inadequate  to  meet  the 
necessities  of  our  modern  republic,  and  therefore  short- 
sighted in  conception,  and  dangerous  in  its  faultiness, 
and  in  that  it  represents  a  degree  of  injustice  wholly 
foreign  to  the  American  character,  the  author  has  at- 
tempted to  show  in  the  following  pages.  To  what  ex- 
tent he  has  succeeded  in  this,  the  people  of  the  republic 
—  the  great  arbiters  of  its  destinies  —  must  decide.  That 
in  the  exposition  of  the  subject  which  he  has  herein  made 
he  reflects  the  general  sentiment  of  the  volunteer  soldiery, 
he  has  every  reason  to  believe;  and  that  the  appeal  he 


PRE  FA  TOR  Y  NO  7'E. 


79 


has  made  in  its  behalf  will  not  be  disregarded  by  his 
fellow-citizens,  he  entertains  an  abiding  confidence. 

Absorbed  in  public  duties,  and  deeply  earnest  in  the 
subject  which  he  has  'attempted  to  treat,  the  author  has 
given  more  attention  to  the  presentation  of  facts  than 
to  a  display  of  rhetoric,  while  he  has  sought  rather  to 
follow  truth  through  the  channels  of  argument  and  de- 
duction than  to  array  his  sentences  in  the  beauties  of 
precise  metrical  composition.  In  the  eyes  of  some  his 
style  may  be  deemed  didactic,  and  therefore  unsuited  to 
the  subject ;  but  he  hopes  that  it  will  be  generally  seen 
that  his  presentation  of  well  known  historical  facts  has 
been  indispensable  to  the  illustration  of  the  subject,  and 
to  a  just  appreciation  of  the  legitimate  deductions  be- 
longing to  it.  Therefore  history  and  biography  have 
been  freely  drawn  upon  in  the  following  pages  —  not 
for  the  instruction  of  the  reader,  who  perhaps  may  be 
better  versed  in  both  than  is  the  author  himself,  but 
for  the  better  illumination  of  the  subject  directly  under 
treatment. 

The  author  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  to  the 
various  general  works  upon  American  history  and  biog- 
raphy which  so  well  adorn  the  general  literature  of  our 
country,  and  also  to  several  special  authors  whose 
names  are  directly  given  in  the  letter-press  in  connec- 
tion with  the  quotations  from  their  books. 

With  these  observations,  the  author  submits  his 
work  to  the  intelligence  and  impartial  justice  of  his 
fellow-citizens. 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER. 


THE    AMERICAN    CITIZEN-SOLDIER. 

THE  late  war  between  the  American  States  was 
the  legitimate  climax  of  several  cooperating  forces. 
It  was  fruitful  in  cause,  and  prolific  of  results.  A  brief 
retrospection  of  a  few  historical  facts  will  serve  as  a 
useful  means  to  break  the  ground  of  the  subject  which 
it    is   proposed   to    discuss    in    the    present   volume. 

Prior  to  the  notable  event  of  1775  —  the  spilling  of  the 
first  American  blood,  by  the  British  troops,  at  Lexington 
—  forty  centuries,  of  which  the  modern  world  has  record 
more  or  less  direct  and  authentic,  had  lent  their  aid  to  the 
human  race  in  the  evolution  of  its  destiny. .  The  problem 
of  man's  social  and  political  life  had  been  worked  at 
through  the  ages,  and  the  answer,  involving  the  happi- 
ness and  freedom  of  mankind,  was  still  unfound  when 
the  conflict  referred  to  above  occurred.  Nations  had 
been  born  and  had  become  great  in  population  and 
power;  these  had  declined,  and  finally  had  passed  from 
the  memory,  and  in  many  cases,  save  through  uncertain 
tradition,  even  from  the  record  of  men.  Myriads  of 
human  beings  had  been  marshaled  in  battle,  and  mil- 
lions  of   human    lives    had  been    sacrificed   upon    bloody 

fields.     Generals    had     become     renowned ;     kings     had 

81 


82  THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Strutted  their  brief  hour  upon  the  stage;  emperors  had 
ruled  with  iron  hand  ;  despots  had  oppressed  the  groan- 
ing milHons;  poHtical  rulers  had  slain  them  in  the 
pretended  interests  of  government,  and  ecclesiastical 
authorities  had  burned  them  through  the  demands  of 
mistaken  religion.  The  years  had  clustered  into 
centuries,  the  centuries  into  ages,  and  the  same  devices 
of  the  few  to  enslave  the  many  had  been  repeated  with 
the    regularity   of   planetary    movement. 

With  the  march  of  time  the  stock  of  human  knowl- 
edge had  increased;  invention  had  been  stimulated,  the 
arts  improved  and  diffused,  letters  cultivated,  and  the 
sciences  rounded  into  enduring  form.  Whatever  might 
have  been  the  inherent  attributes  of  the  primeval  man, 
age  had  tutored,  experience  had  perfected,  and  increased 
knowledge  had  polished  him,  by  the  close  of  the  mediaeval 
period  of  the  world's  history.  There  had  then  been  men, 
great  in  every  walk  of  life — great  artisans,  great  inventors, 
great  builders,  great  painters,  great  sculptors,  great  ora- 
tors, great  poets,  great  generals,  and  great  rulers.  But 
when  the  eighteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era  had  un- 
folded three-fourths  of  its  weary  length,  it  is  gravely  to 
be  doubted  whether  the  condition  of  the  common  people, 
as  it  relates  to  the  economy,  political  and  personal,  of  the 
masses  in  whole  and  in  detail,  was  upon  any  higher  plane 
under  the  reign  of  George  III.  of  England,  as  an  ex- 
ample, than  under  many  dynasties  of  the  ancient  world 
whose  career  had  closed  forever.  Personal  liberty  under 
constitutional  government  was  a  shade  of  the  night,  not 


INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER.  83 

yet  compacted  into  an  entity  of  the  day.  The  aspi- 
ration for  it  lurked  under  cover  of  darkness ;  but  the 
resolution  to  possess  it  had  not  walked  out  into  the  light. 
The  spirit  of  progress  had  gently  tapped  at  the  door 
of  each  opening  century,  soliciting  a  recognition  of  the 
common  people.  The  small  republics  of  Greece,  the 
republic  of  Rome,  the  Italian  republics  under  the  Lom- 
bardian  League,  the  Dutch  republic,  the  republic  of 
Switzerland,  and,  in  a  certain  sense,  Europe  under  the 
feudal  system,  had  turned  a  listening  ear,  but  quickly 
closed  the  door  again.  It  seems  a  notable  circum- 
stance that  at  the  beginning  of  the  modern  era,  when 
new  impetus  had  been  given  to  learning,  the  kings  of 
the  world  came  solidly  to  the  front  and  crushed  all 
semblance  of  popular  government. 

By  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  however,  the 
sentiment  of  democracy  had  taken  deep  root  among  the 
masses  of  the  two  leading  nations  of  Europe  —  England 
and  France.  The  seed  that  had  been  sown  through  the 
successive  eras  was  incubating,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1775  the  world  stood  upon  the  threshold  of  a  period 
wherein  a  decade  of  the  future  was  destined  to  surpass  in 
substantial  results  a  century  of  the  past.  Through  a 
marvelous  ordering  of  events,  the  initial  struggle  of  the 
human  race  for  existence  and  expansion  had  been  limited 
to  the  continent  that  witnessed  its  birth.  A  world  virgin 
in  every  just  sense  had  been  reserved  for  its  second 
growth.  A  continent  embracing  every  possibility  of 
nature  had   been  in  hiding  from    the    other  hemisphere 


84 


THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


since  the  early  morning  of  creation.  Mankind  had  passed 
the  stage  of  preparation.  The  idea  of  personal  liberty, 
embracing  the  broad  doctrines  of  human  rights,  had  issued 
from  the  matrix  of  Time.  Its  growth  was  about  to  com- 
mence, activity  in  the  new  direction  to  begin.  The  un- 
known world  had  been  torn  from  its  concealment,  and  the 
strongest  manhood  of  the  old  continent  had  sought  its 
shores.  The  ancient  conflict  between  the  masses  and  the 
masters  was  still  raging  when  the  Declaration  of  July  4th, 
1 776,  arrested  the  attention  of  the  world.  A  fiat  had  gone 
forth  proclaiming  the  inalienable  rights  of  man.  The 
conflict  was  transferred  to  the  new  hemisphere;  forces 
were  raised ;  man  was  pitted  against  man ;  the  fruits  of 
peaceful  labor  were  consumed ;  human  life  was  sacrificed 
without  stint ;  but  in  the  end  a  republic  was  formed 
which  was  declared  to  be  founded  upon  the  freedom  and 
equality  of  the  masses,  and  the  kingship  of  the  common 
people. 

Three-quarters  of  a  century  sped  away  —  a  mere  click 
of  the  machinery  marking  the  flight  of  time  —  and  a  won- 
derful development  of  the  human  race,  in  both  hemi- 
spheres, had  taken  place.  In  the  Old  World  the  people 
had  fairly  caught  the  spirit  of  liberty.  It  was  no  longer 
talked  of  with  bated  breath.  Kings  and  emperors  be- 
came alarmed  at  the  diffusion  of  broad  ideas  among  the 
masses,  and  began  to  tremble  before  the  developing 
power  and  boldness  of  their  subjects.  A  spasmodic  effort 
to  form  a  republic  in  the  heart  of  Europe  took  place ;  con- 
r:essions  were  elsewhere  wrung  from  the  rulers.      Reforms, 


IN  TROD  UCTOR  V   CHAPTER. 


85 


social,  political,  and  religious,  were  granted,  and  the  chains 
were  struck  from  the  limbs  of  eight  hundred  thousand 
human  beings  held  in  bondage  in  the  various  British 
Colonies.  • 

In  the  New  World,  the  example  of  the  United  States 
had  been  followed  by  the  Spanish- American  colonies ;  and 
a  group  of  republics,  through  the  fructifying  influence  of 
the  period,  had  sprung  into  existence,  and  extended  to 
the  farther  extremity  of  the  southern  continent.  Educa- 
tion had  become  general,  labor  honorable,  and  personal 
worth  and  industry  safe  passports  to  respect  and  compe- 
tence. Learning  had  been  advanced,  the  great  inventions 
extended  and  perfected,  and  previously  untamed  forces  of 
nature  had  been  harnessed  to  the  service  of  mankind. 

During  this  brilliant  progress  of  the  race  a  remnant  of 
the  ancient  tyranny,  which  still  clung  to  the  Amer- 
ican free  government,  had  been  rapidly  growing  like 
a  malignant  germ,  and  securely  fastening  itself  upon  the 
social  and  political  life  of  the  individuals  and  States  of  the 
southern  portion  of  the  American  Union.  The  colonists 
of  1 776  had  attempted  to  apply  the  knife  to  the  fatal  growth 
of  human  bondage,  but  they  failed  to  extirpate  it  en  masse. 
Subsequent  experience  soon  brought  to  notice  that  the 
signers  of  Independence  Hall,  when  declaring  all  men  to 
be  free  and  equal,  had  made  a  fatal  omission.  They  had 
not  inserted  after  the  word  "  men"  the  words  "regardless 
of  color  or  condition."  In  declaring  for  "free  men,"  they 
had  in  view  white  men  only.  The  movement  for  free- 
dom, then,  was  partial.     The  idea  of  freedom  had  been 


86  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

the  child  of  the  ages,  but  in  their  hands  it  lacked  devel- 
opment and  expansion.  Under  a  government  formed 
upon  the  basis  of  universal  freedom,  millions  of  people 
were  born  in  a  slavery  as  absolute  and  despotic,  as  blight- 
ing and  destructive  as  any  known  to  recorded  history. 
The  results  were  legitimate,  and  to  have  been  expected. 
Slavery  in  theory  and  in  practice  debased  the  servant,  and 
developed  the  master  into  a  being  as  foreign  to  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  nineteenth  century  as  the  air-breathing 
animal  is  to  life  under  the  water.  He  became  the 
anomaly  of  the  age.  His  gaze  was  backward,  and  his 
yearning  was  for  the  effete  and  exhausted  things  of  the 
past.  Believing  in  the  theory  of  slavery,  he  denied  the 
doctrine  of  universal  equality.  A  disbeliever  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  masses,  his  ideal  was  achieved  in  the  rule 
of  the  many  by  the  few.  In  the  year  1861,  amidst  the 
exuberant  growth  of  republican  principles,  he  cultivated 
the  heresy  of  caste,  and  was  ready  to  commence  the  work 
of  undermining  a  structure  that  had  been  reared  by  the 
irresistible  forces  of  human  evolution.  Scouting  equality, 
he  became  an  aristocrat.  The  material  was  ready,  and 
but  a  spark  was  required  to  kindle  the  fire.  Given  the 
relating  data,  and  the  result  could  have  been  calculated 
with  the  accuracy  of  a  problem  in  mathematics. 

Four  years  of  bloody  internecine  strife  rectified  the 
omission  of  the  Declaration,  broadened  its  sentiments, 
and  made  it  the  Magna  Charta  of  all  m.ankind,  des- 
tined to  last  while  the  human  race   endures. 

Able    pens    have    already    transcribed    with    faithful 


INTRODUCTOR  Y  CHAPTER. 


87 


accuracy  the  events  of  the  late  enforced  civil  war.  Its 
details  have  been  described  with  absorbing  interest 
and  historic  justice.  Its  battle-fields  have  been  mapped, 
its  campaigns  by  land  and  sea  exemplified,  and 
the  brave  officers  that  led  our  conquering  legions 
have  received  their  merited  eulogiums.  In  face  of 
the  present  post-bellum  literature,  it  may  appear  to 
many  that  no  room  exists  for  further  authorship 
upon  the  subject.  The  fact  is,  however,  that  a  most 
important  part  of  the  history  of  the  great  struggle 
remains  to  be  written  —  that  part  relating  to  the 
volunteer  soldier  and  sailor. 

All  wars,  great  or  otherwise,  have  been  attended 
with  the  display  of  personal  valor ;  and  in  their 
course  military  genius  has  been  developed  as  a 
legitimate  result  of  the  presenting  opportunity.  This 
genius,  as  all  impartial  historians  must  admit,  was 
profuse  of  growth  during  the  recent  inter-State  con- 
flict, while  the  individual  heroism  of  the  rank  and 
file  has  stamped  the  American  subaltern  as  a  soldier 
sui  generis.  A  careful  consideration  of  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  war  as  they  relate  to  both  officers 
and  men,  in  the  aspect  of  soldiers,  will  develop  some 
curious,  interesting,  and,  it  may  be,  some  very  useful 
facts  and  lines  of  reflection.  It  is  one  of  the  ob- 
jects of  the  present  volume  to  bring  these  into 
strong  relief,  and  to  give  them  a  prominence  such  as 
the  author  believes  they  have  not  heretofore  received. 
The    facts    will    be    openly    and    fairly    stated    as    the 


gg  THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AAIERICA. 

volume  proceeds,  let  them  affect  whom  they  may, 
and  the  legitimate  deductions  will  be  drawn  in  what- 
soever  direction   they   may   lead. 

The  author  would  not  detract  in  the  most  infini- 
tesimal degree  from  the  already  recorded  tributes  to 
the  patriotism,  the  bravery  and  the  rare  military 
qualities  of  the  conspicuous  leaders  of  the  late  war.  He 
would  rather  add  an  additional  tribute  of  his  own  to  the 
merited  eulogiums  upon  those  whose  recent  deeds  have 
become  an  imperishable  part  of  the  history  of  their 
country.  He  would  be  generous,  and  he  would  likewise 
be  just.  But  no  record  of  the  war  would  be  wholly  just 
that  failed  to  portray  the  unique  character  of  the 
American  citizen-soldier,  and  no  deduction  from  the 
lessons  of  the  conflict  can  cover  the  ultimate  logic  of  the 
case  that  does  not  consider  as  one  of  the  premises  this 
character  of  the  soldier  as  it  bears  upon  the  future  of  his 
country.  Official  leadership  is  a  prime  factor  in  the  issue 
of  battles,  but  much  of  the  interest  of  the  engagement 
clusters  around  the  common  soldier,  as  well  as  about  the 
officer.  No  estimate  of  battle  results  can  be  considered 
wholly  safe  that  fails  to  include  both  officers  and  men. 
Indeed,  it  may  be  broadly  alleged  that  there  has  been  no 
battle  fought  since  the  beginning  of  human  contention, 
where  the  common  soldiers  did  not  largely  outnumber  the 
officers,  not  alone  in  the  ranks  of  the  contestants,  but  also 
in  the  lists  of  the  killed  and  wounded.  Had  it  been 
ordered  otherwise  from  the  beginning,  the  study  of  the 


IN TK OD UC 'J 'OA'  i '   C/Ll P 7 'EK. 


89 


rise  and  tall  of  nations  would  have  been  greatly  simpli- 
fied to  the  modern  student. 

Soldiers,  then,  have  fought  the  battles  of  the  world. 
The  officers  have  directed  them. 

Within  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Union  army  all  classes 
of  men  were  largely  represented.  The  artisan,  the 
farmer,  the  laborer,  the  clerk,  the  lawyer,  the  doctor,  the 
student,  the  man  of  letters,  the  man  of  wealth,  as  well  as 
the  man  without  means  —  all  of  these  voluntarily  left 
families  and  friends,  and  many  of  them  comfortable 
homes  and  more  or  less  remunerative  occupations,  to 
suffer  the  hard  fare  of  a  common  soldier's  life.  The  case 
of  the  inventor  of  the  sewing-machine,  who,  though 
possessing  a  large  private  fortune,  became  a  soldier  in 
the  ranks  upon  the  pay  of  twenty-two  dollars  per 
month,  must  be  well  remembered. 

A  motive  powerful  and  far-reaching  prompted  these 
sacrifices  ;  and  beneath  that  motive  there  are  surely  to  be 
found  those  influences  that  have  made  the  American 
soldier,  from  the  Revolution  of  1776  to  the  close  of  the 
slaveholders'  rebellion,  different  from  any  other  in  the 
history  of  battle-fields.  He  is  neither  a  soldier  by  hire 
nor  a  soldier  by  compulsion,  either  of  whom  performs  his 
duties  in  a  mechanical  and  perfunctory  manner,  and 
wholly  unstimulated  by  the  lofty  incentive  actuating  the 
American  volunteer.  The  battle-fields  of  the  world, 
from  the  earliest  authentic  record  of  human  struggles 
upon  the  plain  of  Shinar,  through  all  subsequent  eras  to 
tne    American    Revolution,   have   swarmed   with  soldiers 


90 


THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA, 


% 


whose  services  had  either  been  purchased  by  some  sort  of 
pecuniary  recompense,  or  secured  by  the  iron  hand  of 
compulsion.  The  Hessians  at  Trenton  furnish  a  modern 
illustration  of  this  class  of  soldiers,  and  the  rude  warriors 
under  the  feudal  system  are  an  example  from  the  middle 
ages.  The  keen  incentive  actuating  a  soldier  striving  for 
a  principle,  moved  by  patriotism  and  sustained  by  a 
sense  of  right  and  justice,  has  been  wholly  absent  from 
the  class  of  soldiers  alluded  to. 

The  American  volunteer,  so  far  as  mere  physical 
strength,  strong  endurance,  and  iron  courage  are  con- 
cerned, may  not  be  a  better  "  Greek"  than  he  who  fought 
the  battles  of  Sparta  and  Athens  twenty-five  centuries  ago, 
but  there  are  circumstances  connected  with  the  modern 
American  that  have  made  him  the  most  invincible  of 
soldiers.  What  are  these  circumstances?  They  belong 
strictly  to  his  Americanism. 

Briefly  stated,  it  may  be  said  that  he  is  an  integral 
part  of  the  government  and  country  for  which  he  fights. 
He  is  a  citizen  of  the  freest  government  that  the  world 
has  yet  seen.  There  is  no  avenue  of  life  closed  to  him ; 
no  possibility  denied  him.  From  a  private  station  he  may 
pass  to  high  political  position.  In  his  humblest  and  most 
obscure  capacity  his  voice  is  as  potent  in  the  direction  of 
the  national  affairs  as  is  that  of  the  richest  and  most 
prominent  citizen.  Today  poor  in  purse,  half  a  dozen 
years  may  not  elapse  until  industry  and  enterprise  bring 
him  honest  fortune.  Whether  poor  or  rich,  the  benef- 
icent  laws  of  his  country  give  him  personal  guarantees 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER.  gj 

not  enjoyed  in  any  other  land.  However  poor,  or  how- 
ever rich,  he  has  a  personal  and  direct  interest  in  the 
government.  He  belongs  to  it  ;  he  is  part  of  it.  He 
helps  to  make  its  laws,  to  elect  its  officials,  to  direct  its 
affairs. 

Further  than  this,  he  is  a  man  of  intelligence.  Insti- 
tutions and  means  of  acquiring  learning  are  accessible  to 
him.  Day  schools  are  abundant  for  the  child,  and  other 
schools  for  the  individual  of  any  age.  Newspapers  — 
those  great  educators  of  the  whole  people  —  are  within 
the  easy  reach  of  all.  Libraries  are  abundant  and  books 
are  cheap.  The  public  affairs  of  the  country  are  carried 
before  the  masses  and  discussed  by  the  public  men.  The 
voter  of  the  country  may  be  called  a  court  of  last  resort. 
Stimulated  by  motives  of  direct  interest,  he  has  become 
an  umpire  whose  judgment  seldom  errs. 

The  circumstances  stated  give  the  soldier  of  America 
a  purely  distinctive  character.  He  follows  the  banner  of 
no  potentate  as  hireling,  dependent,  vassal,  or  menial.  He 
is  a  free  man,  fighting  for  home,  family,  country,  and  the 
government  of  which  he  is  a  factor.  His  arm  is  raised  for 
a  principle,  for  right,  for  justice.  The  immense  difference 
between  the  man  who  is  a  soldier  through  such  consider- 
ations, and  him  who  is  one  by  mere  occupation  or  by 
force,  need  not  be  dwelt  upon. 

The  climax,  however,  would  hardly  be  complete  with- 
out mention  of  an  additional  circumstance  pertainmg  to 
the  character  of  the  American  volunteer.  His  whole 
training  from  childhood,  whether  his  lot  be  cast  in  a  large 


9 2  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OE   AMERICA. 

community  or  upon  the  frontier  of  the  country,  where  he 
becomes  a  quasi  soldier  through  force  of  surroundings  and 
mode  of  life,  has  given  him  a  character  of  independence, 
of  self-reliance,  of  quick  action,  and  ready  command  of 
expedients.  These  qualities  imply  wonderful  fitness  for 
the  soldier.  Brave  by  an  inheritance  from  hardy  fore- 
fathers, vigorous  through  the  training  of  American  life, 
with  intellect  developed  by  education,  the  American 
soldier  surely  stands  without  a  rival. 

The  attempt  to  add  to  the  history  of  our  various  con- 
flicts a  missing  chapter  which  shall  have  for  its  direct  pur- 
pose the  rendering  of  full  justice  to  the  gallant  volunteers 
of  America,  will  necessarily  lead  the  author  to  a  considera- 
tion of  the  subject  in  its  several  relations,  and  in  a  some- 
what extended  manner ;  and  deductions  may  be  finally 
arrived  at  that  may  have  a  useful  bearing  upon  the  military 
future  of  our  country.  In  order  to  give  to  the  subject,  as 
it  is  designed  to  be  treated,  an  easy  flow  and  a  natural 
direction,  the  first  part  of  the  volume  will  be  devoted  to  a 
consideration  of  the  experiment  of  military  education  in 
the  United  States;  the  second  part,  to  the  results  of  that 
experiment,  embracing  certain  statistics  of  an  instructive 
character;  and  the  third  part  to  the  invocation  of  justice 
to  the  volunteer  soldier,  and  to  the  volunteer  system  of 
America.  In  this  portion  of  the  volume  it  is  the  author's 
intention  to  outline  some  suggestions  concerning  the  mili- 
tary necessities  of  the  national  future. 


PART  I. 

HISTORY  OF 

MILITARY  EDUCATION 

IN  THE 

UNITED  STATES. 


93 


HISTORY  OF  MILITARY  EDUCATION. 


CHAPTER   I. 

WEST  POINT  ON  THE  HUDSON ITS  HISTORY  AS  A  MILI- 
TARY POST  DURING  THE  REVOLUTION PLAN  OF  GEN- 
ERAL   BURGOYNE    TO    CUT    AND     CRUSH    THE     COLONIES 

THE    VOLUNTEERS    SURROUND  AND  CAPTURE  THE  BRITISH 

EXPEDITION THE     CITIZEN-SOLDIER     A     NEW      FEATURE 

IN    THE    HISTORY    OF  BaTTLE-FIELDS BENEDICT  ARNOLD 

AND    MAJOR   ANDRE. 

THE  locality  on  the  Hudson  River  embraced  within 
the  term  West  Point  is  one  of  historic  interest  to 
the  American.  At  an  early  period  it  was  called  the 
"Gibraltar  of  America;"  but>  from  the  outbreak  of 
the  Revolution  to  the  period  of  Arnold's  treason,  its 
position  and  possession  covered  vastly  more  in  relation 
to  ultimate  consequences  than  can  be  alleged  of  the 
water-passage  by  Gibraltar  in  any  period  of  which  we 
have  record.  If  Burgoyne's  and  Clinton's  expeditions 
had  succeeded  in  their  object  in  October,  1777,  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  the  colonists  would  have  been 
crushed  and  that  the  present  American  States  might 
still  be  British  dependencies.  Or,  if  Arnold's  treason  had 
succeeded,  three  years  later,  there  is  at  least  the  proba- 
bility that  a  like  result  would  have  ensued. 

95 


96  THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA, 

After  the  Independence  had  been  secured,  West 
Point,  though  abandoned  as  a  military  post,  was  soon 
selected  as  the  locality  upon  which  to  establish  a  military 
academy ;  and  at  this  time  it  is  the  only  institution  sup- 
ported by  the  Government  of  the  United  States  for  the 
education  of  officers  for  the  army.  Many  of  the  names 
that  will  appear  upon  the  subsequent  pages  of  this  vol- 
ume are  to  be  found  upon  the  register  of  the  Academy, 
while  some  of  the  reflections  connected  with  the  subject 
of  the  book  are  intimately  related  to  the  school  and  the 
system  it  represents.  In  view  of  these  circumstances  the 
author  purposes  to  devote  a  certain  space  to  the  consid- 
eration of  West  Point  in  its  double  character  of  defensive 
post  and  military  academy,  and,  as  germane  to  the  subject 
of  military  education,  to  touch  upon  the  sister  institution 
at  Annapolis.  Though  details  of  the  operations  centering 
toward  West  Point,  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  are 
to  be  found  in  all  histories  and  text-books  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  our  national  struggle  for  independence,  the  author 
will  be  pardoned  for  a  condensation  of  some  of  the  most 
important  events  in  connection  with  it. 

As  early  as  the  beginning  of  1775  the  necessity  to 
erect  fortifications  that  might  command  the  passage  of 
the  Hudson  River  became  apparent  to  the  American 
colonists,  in  view  of  the  rupture,  then  inevitable  and 
closely  impending,  with  the  mother  country.  The  strat- 
egic importance  of  this  water-way  had  been  learned  by 
the  British  Government  during  the  course  of  its  previous 
struggle  with  France.      This   knowledge  led  the   British 


STRATEUIC  IMVORTANCE    OF    THE   HUDSON  RIVER.        97 

commanders,  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  as  well  as  at  a 
later  period  of  hostilities,  to  determined  efforts  to  obtain 
its  control. 

With  the  object  of  presenting  the  reasons  underlying 
the  importance  of  this  control,  in  a  manner  at  once  brief 
and  clear,  the  following  extract  is  made  from  a  well- 
written  work,  published  in  1863: 

"  The  student  of  American  history  is  familiar  with  the  fact  that 
to  obtain  control  of  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson  River  was  a 
favorite  project  with  the  British  Government,  during  the  whole 
progress  of  the  War  of  Independence. 

"  In  order  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  reasons  on  which 
this  project  is  based,  we  should  examine  with  some  attention  the 
topography  of  the  river,  not  simply  as  limited  to  the  section  of  coun- 
try through  which  its  waters  flow,  but  taking  a  broader  view  and 
regarding  its  connection  with  those  more  remote  and  wide-spread 
regions  that  find  through  it  their  most  direct  and  natural  channel 
to  the  seaboard. 

"  Even  at  the  present  day,  when  the  skilled  enterprise  of  a 
numerous  and  commercial  people  has  linked  the  interior  to  the 
coast  by  many  and  various  artificial  channels,  the  great  thorough- 
fare of  the  State  of  New  York  holds  a  preeminent  position,  mainly 
due  to  its  unrivaled  natural  advantages.  But  these  advantages 
were  of  paramount  importance,  both  before  and  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary struggle,  when  the  canoe  of  the  Indian  or  the  bateau  of 
the  voyageur  furnished  the  most  convenient  and  speedy  transporta- 
tion for  purposes  either  of  commerce  or  war.  Then,  to  the  north, 
at  the  head  of  boat  navigation,  the  Hudson  was  connected  by  an 
easy  portage  with  Lakes  George  and  Champlain,  and  through 
them  with  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  great  river  of  the  Canadas;  whilst, 
toward  the  west,  its  principal  affluent,  the  Mohawk,  gave  easy 
access,  scarcely  interrupted  by  a  few  short  portages,  to  the  basin  of 
the  great  lakes,  and  to  the  magnificent  river  system  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

"  Thus  established  by  nature  as  the  main  artery  connecting  a 
vast  network  of  interior  water  communications  with  the  Atlantic 


98  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

and  draining  the  resources  of  almost  half  a  continent,  the  Hudson 
occupied  a  position  of  highest  strategic  importance. 

*'The  British  Government  had  been  taught  this  fact  in  the 
course  of  the  long  struggle  between  England  and  France,  then  but 
recently  terminated.  They  knew  that  by  the  possession  of  the 
Hudson  they  could  separate  the  eastern  part  of  the  province  of 
New  York  and  the  provinces  of  New  England  from  the  remainder 
of  the  confederacy,  and  thus,  by  cutting  off  communication  between 
these  points,  speedily  reduce  the  patriots  to  subjection.  Hence,  in 
a  letter  dated  London,  July  31,  1775,  conveying  to  the  colonists  the 
plan  of  operations  decided  upon  by  the  British  Government,  it  is 
said  that  their  design  is  :  *  To  get  possession  of  New  York  and 
Albany  ;  to  fill  both  of  these  cities  with  very  strong  garrisons  ;  to 
declare  all  rebels  who  do  not  join  the  King's  forces  ;  to  command 
the  Hudson  and  East  Rivers  with  a  number  of  small  men-of-war, 
and  cutters  stationed  in  different  parts  of  it,  so  as  to  cut  off  all 
communication  by  water  between  New  York  and  Albany,  except 
for  the  King's  service ;  and  to  prevent  also  all  communication 
between  the  city  of  New  York  and  the  provinces  of  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  and  those  to  the  southward  of  them.  By  these,'  con- 
tinues the  letter,  'the  administration  and  their  friends  fancy  that 
they  shall  soon  either  starve  out  or  retake  the  garrisons  of 
Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga,  and  open  and  maintain  a  safe 
intercourse  and  correspondence  between  Quebec,  Albany,  and  New 
York,  and  thereby  afford  the  fairest  opportunity  to  their  soldiery 
and  the  Canadians,  in  conjunction  with  the  Indians,  to  be  procured 
by  G.  J.  (Col.  Guy  Johnson,  a  son-in-law  of  Sir  William  Johnson, 
Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  of  the  Province  of  New  York),  to 
make  continual  irruptions  into  New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts  and 
Connecticut,  and  so  distract  and  divide  the  provincial  forces  as  to 
render  it  easy  for  the  British  army  at  Boston  to  defeat  them,  break 
the  spirits  of  the  Massachusetts  people,  depopulate  their  country 
and  compel  an  absolute  subjection  to  Great  Britain.'"* 

As  heretofore  remarked,  the  colonists  were  as  much 
ahve  to  the  strategic  importance  of  the  Hudson  as  w^ere 


^History  of  West  Point:     By  Capt.   Edward  C.   Boynton,  A.   M.,  Adjutant 
of  the  Military  Academy,   1S63. 


EARLY  ATTEMPTS    TO   FORTJEY    TJIE  HUDSON.  99 

the  English ;  and  after  prehminary  resolution  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  upon  the  subject,  the  Provincial  Con- 
gress of  New  York  passed  a  resolution  on  the  i8th  of 
August,  1775,  directing  that  the  fortifications  be  at  once 
erected  which  were  recommended  by  a  committee  of  the 
body  which  was  previously  raised  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
sidering and  reporting  upon  the  matter.  A  commission 
was  thereupon  named  to  carry  out  the  order  of  the  local 
congress. 

Resulting  from  this  action,  the  work  of  fortifying  the 
Hudson  was  immediately  begun.  As  appears  from  a 
report  made  by  Lord  Stirling  to  General  Washington, 
under  date  of  June  i,  1776,^  the  works  consisted  of  a  fort 
located  about  four  miles  above  Stony  Point,  upon  the 
west  bank  of  the  river,  which  was  called  Fort  Mont- 
gomery; of  one  upon  Constitution  Island,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  and  about  six  miles  above  the  latter; 
and  of  some  lines  of  water-batteries  fronting  the  river. 
To  these  were  also  added  obstructions  to  the  channel  of 
the  stream.  No  work  was  located  at  West  Point  in  this 
first  plan  of  fortifying  the  Highlands,  though  Lord 
Stirling,  in  the  report  above  alluded  to,  recommended 
the  building  of  a  redoubt  upon  the  point. 

These  fortifications,  rude  and  inefficient  for  the  pur- 
pose of  defense,  cost  an  amount  of  money  very  consid- 
erable for  those  days  ;  and  the  expenditure  was  more 
deeply  felt  because  it  was  destined  to  be  almost  entirely 
lost. 


lAm.  Arch.,  IV,  VI,  672, 


lOO  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

One  of  the  most  critical  events  of  the  war,  if  indeed  its 
whole  issue  did  not  directly  depend  upon  it,  was  now 
about  to  transpire.  One  of  the  crises  out  of  whose  throes 
the  fate  of  men  and  nations  have  often  been  evolved,  was 
about  to  break  over  the  heads  of  the  actors  in  the  strug- 
gle of  that  day.  From  the  impending  crash  a  new  nation 
must  spring  into  life,  or  perish  In  the  germ.  It  is  a 
recital  of  absorbing  interest,  and  can  well  be  dwelt  upon 
in  a  volume  like  the  present. 

Mention  has  been  herein  made  of  the  realization  by 
both  parties  to  the  contest  of  the  importance  of  com- 
manding the  Hudson  River.  The  colonists  made  an  early 
movement  to  defend  it,  but  the  British  were  still  earlier  in 
the  conception  of  a  plan  that,  in  the  nature  of  a  coup  de 
main,  might  take  the  river  as  a  base,  and  cut  the  rebell- 
ious child  through  the  middle  at  a  single  blow. 

Let  us  take  a  brief  survey  of  the  facts  and  of  the  posi- 
tion at  that  time. 

The  first  struggles  between  the  colonists  and  the 
mother  country  took  place  in  New  England,  then  com- 
prised of  the  colonies  of  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  Ver- 
mont, New  Hampshire,  and  Rhode  Island.  Descended 
from  the  Puritans,  who  had  braved  every  danger  and 
undergone  every  hardship  in  order  that  they  might 
breathe  the  air  of  freedom,  the  colonists  of  that  section 
were  the  first  to  resent  the  growing  demands  upon  them. 
It  was  at  Boston  that  a  ship's  cargo  was  thrown  over- 
board, and  at  Lexington  that  the  first  armed  conflict  took 
place.     These  colonies  were  considered  the  hot-bed  of  the 


NEW  ENGLAND' S  INFLUENCE   IN    THE    COLONIES.        lOI 

rebellion,  and  it  was  deemed  to  be  of  the  first  importance 
to  shear  them  of  their  influence  with  the  others,  and  to 
bring  them  to  a  speedy  submission. 

Loyal  Canada  was  upon  the  north,  and  New  York 
City,  which  had  been  taken  by  Lord  Howe  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1776,  was  upon  the  south.  A  line  drawn  between 
these  localities  would  effectually  cut  New  England  from 
the  sister  colonies.  A  broad-sheeted  and  safely  navigable 
river  was  representative  of  that  line  in  its  more  important 
part. 

One  of  the  chief  actors  in  the  events  so  soon  to  follow 
was  the  British  General  John  Burgoyne.  Born  in  Eng- 
land, he  received  the  benefits  of  a  line  literary  education, 
and  at  an  early  age  he  entered  the  British  army,  and 
reaped  the  advantages  of  a  thorough  military  training. 
As  a  brigadier-general  he  won  distinction  in  Portugal,  at 
Alcantara,  and  at  Villa  Franca.  Arriving  in  Boston  in 
the  spring  of  1775,  he  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill.  Returning  to  England  in  December,  1776,  he  pre- 
sented to  the  ministry  a  plan  of  campaign,  which  was 
adopted;  and  Burgoyne,  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Gen- 
eral,  was  sent  back  to  America  to  assist  in  carrying  it  out. 
The  noble  river  discovered  by  Hendrik  Hudson  was 
marked  out  as  the  flood  beneath  which  the  freedom  of 
America  was  to  be  submerged. 

A  strong  remnant  of  the  force  that  had  defended  Can- 
ada against  the  previous  attack  made  by  the  Americans 
still  remained.  Seven  thousand  veteran  troops  were  sent 
from  England  to  Canada,  with  a  thorough  artillery  equip- 


I02  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

ment,  the  whole  being  officered  by  men  of  military  train- 
ing and  experience.  Stores  in  abundance  were  provided, 
and  success  seemed  almost  assured  in  advance  of  the 
army  movement. 

With  this  force  Burgoyne  was  to  set  out  upon  the 
march  toward  the  south,  by  the  line  of  the  small  northern 
lakes  and  the  Hudson  River.  At  the  same  time  a  British 
column  was  to  be  sent  northward  from  New  York  City  by 
Sir  Henry  Clinton,  the  commanding  General  at  the  latter 
place.  Burgoyne  was  to  sweep  down  to  Albany,  crushing 
resistance  as  he  went,  and  Clinton's  force  was  to  join  him 
at  that  point,  after  having  brushed  away  the  fortifications 
of  the  Highlands.  Both  forces  were  largely  composed  of 
veteran  soldiers,  with  officers  of  ability,  training,  and  expe- 
rience. The  conclusion  seemed  foregone;  the  collapse  of 
the  insurrection  was  tin  fait  accompli. 

For  a  time  Burgoyne  carried  everything  before  him. 
Crown  Point  came  without  a  struggle,  and  Ticonderoga 
was  abandoned.  General  Schuyler  had  been  in  command 
of  the  Americans,  and,  before  being  superseded  by  Gen- 
eral Gates,  had  offered  the  first  check  the  invader  had 
received,  by  obstructing  Wood  Creek  and  the  roads  over 
which  he  must  pass. 

The  sun  which  had  shone  so  brightly  upon  Burgoyne's 
departure  for  the  south  soon  became  obscured,  then 
deeply  clouded,  and  finally  went  down  upon  the  collapse 
of  his  expedition.  Having  sent  two  detachments  to  Ben- 
nington for  stores,  the  one  under  command  of  Colonel 
Baum    and   the    other    of    Lieutenant-Colonel    Breyman, 


TJIE   EXPEDITION  OE  GEM.  JOHN  BURGOYNE.  1 03 

they  were  met  by  General  John  Stark  and  his  Green 
Mountain  boys.  This  rough  soldier  declared  to  his  men 
that  they  must  either  take  the  red-coats  before  night,  or 
else  behold  "  Molly  Stark  a  widow."  The  enemy  was 
almost  destroyed  in  the  contest  that  followed. 

During  all  this  time  the  American  volunteer  had  been 
coming  upon  the  scene.  Men  were  flocking  from  the 
valleys  and  the  hillsides  with  rifles  that  never  failed  of 
aim.  Burgoyne  began  to  realize  that  there  were  some 
chances  of  failure.  The  Americans  were  strongly  massed 
at  Stillwater,  half  way  between  Saratoga  and  Albany, 
under  Gates  and  Arnold. 

Burgoyne  looked  anxiously  for  advices  from  the  expe- 
dition which  was  to  meet  him  from  the  south.  Lord 
Howe  had  drawn  a  considerable  number  of  men  from 
New  York,  for  the  campaign  against  Washington  and 
Philadelphia,  and  Sir  Henry  Clinton  was  thereby  pre- 
vented from  dispatching  his  expedition  until  after  the 
arrival  of  reinforcements  from  England.  The  delay  was 
one  of  the  unexpected  events  that  so  frequently  modify 
the  best-laid  plans  of  men.  It  was  like  the  charge  of  the 
"  Old  Guard "  over  the  sunken  road  at  Nivelles,  as  de- 
scribed by  Victor  Hugo.  But  for  that  sunken  road, 
Napoleon  might  not  have  lost  Waterloo. 

The  reinforcements  came  at  last,  and  the  expedition 
was  then  embarked  on  a  flotilla,  under  convoy  of  some 
British  men-of-war.  It  proceeded  up  the  Hudson ;  the 
Americans  were  driven  from  their  fortifications,  which 
they  destroyed  upon  evacuation.     The  British  were  about 


I04  'THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

to  continue  the  advance  up  the  river,  when  information 
was  received  of  Burgoyne's  defeat  at  Bemis'  Heights  and 
the  capitulation  of  his  whole  army.  After  an  effort  to 
rebuild  one  of  the  forts,  the  expedition  hastily  returned  to 
New  York,  and  the  spectators  of  the  Old  World  began  to 
realize  the  mettle  of  the  people  who  had  deliberately 
pledged  to  each  other  their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their 
sacred  honor,  for  the  establishment  of  a  free  nation  in 
America. 

This  brilliant  victory  was  soon  followed  by  its  legiti-' 
mate  consequences.  The  American  Commissioners  who 
had  been  in  Europe  endeavoring  to  obtain  recognition  of 
the  new  republic,  and  an  alliance  offensive  and  defensive, 
were  upon  the  point  of  leaving  Paris  with  failing  hope, 
nay,  almost  with  despair.  As  soon  as  reliable  information 
of  this  disaster  to  the  British  arms  reached  Europe,  the 
whole  scene  changed  with  magical  quickness.  For  the 
first  time  since  the  beginning  of  the  struggle  the  true 
character  of  the  American  citizen-soldier  was  fully  recog- 
nized, and  the  potential  military  resources  of  the  colonists 
entirely  comprehended.  The  Old  World  had  been  one 
vast  military  encampment  from  the  earliest  dawn  of 
history.  The  soldier  was  an  institution  coeval  with  the 
birth  of  nations.  He  was  the  prop  of  thrones,  the  first 
and  last  hope  of  royalty.  Rulers  knew  all  about  him. 
He  commanded  a  certain  price,  and  rendered  a  certain 
service.  He  was  a  piece  of  military  machinery.  He  was 
wound  up  at  the  beginning  of  a  battle  and  ran  down 
after   the    execution    of    certain    mechanical    movements. 


CIIARACTERISTJCS    OF    THE    VOLUNTEER.  IO5 

He  moved  in  military  grooves  as  fixed  as  the  orbit  of 
the  earth.  When  circumstances  placed  him  on  the  side 
of  victory  he  accepted  it  as  an  event  in  which  he  had  no 
particular  interest ;  when  the  laws  of  war  decided  him 
beaten,  he  quietly  surrendered  his  arms  and  the  cause  for 
which  he  had  fought  at  one  and  the  same  time.  When 
his  officers  bid  him  to  advance,  he  advanced;  and  when 
the  exigencies  of  battle  suggested  retreat,  he  often  went 
at  once  without  standing  upon  the  order  of  going. 

But  away  off  in  the  wilds  of  America  a  soldier  had 
been  found  totally  different  from  any  that  had  ever  walked 
a  battle-field.  Upon  one  day  he  was  a  civilian  quietly 
following  the  plow ;  upon  the  next  he  became  a  soldier, 
knowing  no  fear  and  carrying  a  whole  destroying  battery 
in  his  trusty  rifle.  He  was  a  soldier  from  conviction  to 
principle,  from  loyalty  to  his  country,  from  duty  to  his 
family.  He  moved  with  the  discipline  of  the  educated 
soldier,  but  he  fought  with  the  desperation  of  a  lion  at 
bay.  He  followed  the  commands  of  his  superiors  when 
they  led  to  victory,  but  in  his  military  lexicon  there  was 
no  such  word  as  fail. 

Burgoyne  had  not  progressed  very  far  with  his  expe- 
dition until  he  learned  the  character  of  the  enemy  he  was 
to  deal  with.  The  accomplished  General  St.  Leger 
received  the  first  blow,  from  the  American  soldiers  under 
General  Herkimer,  The  next  came  from  the  gallant  old 
General  John  Stark,  with  his  Green  Mountain  boys,  who 
defeated  the  trained  forces  under  Baum  and  Breyman, 
both  of  whom  were  soldiers  by  education.     So  disastrous 


I06  THE    VOLUNTEER    SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

were  these  reverses  in  their  effect  that  it  may  be  said  the 
expedition  was  defeated  before  the  full  army  under  Gates 
and  Arnold  was  encountered  by  Burgoyne  at  the  heights 
of  Bemis. 

All  along  the  line  of  that  perilous  march  the  American 
citizen-soldiers  swarmed  from  their  cabins  to  meet  the 
invader.  Many  fell  into  the  ranks  and  fought  until  victory 
was  assured.  Others  swung  their  rifles  on  their  shoulders, 
and,  taking  a  lunch  prepared  by  their  wives  and  daughters, 
went  out  for  a  day's  sport  with  the  red-backs.  Perched 
in  trees,  lying  behind  fences,  peeping  over  rocks,  the 
unerring  rifle  of  the  Americans  lessened  the  British  force 
by  a  man  at  every  curl  of  smoke  that  rose  upon  the 
breeze. 

Fighting  was  still  to  come,  lives  were  to  be  sacrificed, 
and  hardships  to  be  met  and  endured ;  but  when  the 
events  leading  to  the  capitulation  of  October  15,  1777, 
became  known  to  the  world,  the  independence  of  the 
United  States  was  practically  assured.  The  American 
Commissioners  in  Europe  found  their  difficulties  lifted, 
like  a  fog  before  the  rising  orb  of  day.  Within  four 
months  of  Burgoyne's  surrender,  France  had  acknowl- 
edged the  new  government  by  treaty,  and  had  furnished 
fleets  for  its  assistance.  Spain  and  Holland  soon  fol- 
lowed in  recognition,  convinced  that  all  the  power  of 
Albion  was  impotent  to  subdue  the  invincible  soldier  of 
America. 

One  circumstance  connected  with  the  events  here 
dwelt  upon   may  be  placed   in  somewhat  stronger  light 


PERSONNEL    OF   THE  BURGOYNE  EXPEDITION.  lO/ 

than  given  in  the  text  of  the  narrative.  It  bears  upon  a 
point  that  will  again  be  touched  upon  in  these  pages.  It 
has  been  said  that  Burgoyne  was  a  soldier  by  education, 
experience,  and  professional  calling.  The  same  remark 
is  true  of  his  principal  officers,  St.  Leger,  Baum,  Brey- 
man,  Hamilton,  Spaight,  Goll,  and  others.  His  troops, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Indian  allies,  were  specially 
selected  from  veterans  of  the  British  army.  His  whole 
equipment  of  arms,  artillery,  stores,  etc.,  was  complete. 

With  the  exception  of  General  Horatio  Gates,  the 
principal  American  officers  were  without  military  educa- 
tion other  than  that  derived  from  service  during  the  war 
then  progressing,  or  during  the  previous  campaigns 
against  the  Indians  or  the  French.  Herkimer  was  a 
civilian,  having  had  a  short  previous  service  in  the  militia. 
Schuyler  had  a  simple  militia  experience ;  Stark  was  a 
farmer  originally ;  Arnold  was  engaged  in  trade  in  early 
life,  etc.  The  American  troops  had  only  such  experience 
in  war  as  was  incident  to  pioneer  life,  under  which  every 
man  was  the  defender  of  his  own  home  and  family, 
tilling  the  fields  with  his  rifle  beside  him,  and  sleeping  in 
his  cabin  with  a  waking  hand,  ready  to  grasp  his  weapon 
upon  the  first  signal  of  danger. 

General  Horatio  Gates,  who  superseded  General 
Schuyler  in  the  American  command,  during  Burgoyne's 
campaign,  and  who  claimed  the  credit  of  the  victory,  was 
a  soldier  by  profession,  having  been  born  in  England,  the 
regular  army  of  which  he  entered  at  an  early  age.  The 
record  shows  that  the  victory  over  Burgoyne  had  been 


I08  THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

prepared  beforehand  by  Schuyler  and  Stark,  and  that  In 
the  actual  conflict  between  the  two  armies  so  much  of  the 
result  was  due  to  Arnold  that  Gates  became  Intensely 
jealous  of  him.  The  defeat  which  Cornwallis  subse- 
quently Inflicted  upon  General  Gates  proved  that  his  first 
military  education  gave  him  no  advantage  over  other 
American  generals. 

The  expedition  of  General  Burgoyne,  then,  furnishes 
the  example  of  a  contest  between  a  body  of  professional 
soldiers,  led  by  professional  officers,  against  a  body  of 
men,  soldiers  only  by  incident  and  not  by  life-occupation, 
the  latter  of  whom  were  commanded  by  officers  risen  to 
command  because  of  demonstrated  military  talent  and 
fitness.  Numerically,  the  contending  forces  were  nearly 
equal ;  In  all  things  pertaining  to  equipment  and  other 
adjuncts  the  British  troops  enjoyed  a  great  advantage. 
A  priori  reasoning  would  have  given  the  victory  to  the 
latter.  But  in  spite  of  the  conditions  in  their  favor  they 
were  unsuccessful  In  the  object  of  the  campaign.     Why? 

The  happy  thwarting  by  the  colonists  of  the  skillful 
movement  just  narrated  did  not  have  the  effect  to  render 
them  Insensible  to  the  danger  of  a  repetition  of  the 
attempt  Within  seven  weeks  of  the  formal  surrender  of 
Burgoyne,  General  Washington  addressed  the  following 
note  to  General  Putnam,  under  date  of  December  2, 
1777: 

"Dear  Sir:  The  importance  of  the  Hudson  River  in  the  pres- 
ent contest  and  the  necessity  of  defending  it  are  subjects  which 
have  been  so  frequently  and  fully  discussed  and  are  so  well  under- 


WASHINGTON' S  LETTER    TO   GEN.    PUTNAM.  lOQ 

Stood  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  enlarge  upon  them.  These  facts 
at  once  appear  when  it  is  considered  that  it  runs  through  a  whole 
State  ;  that  it  is  the  only  passage  by  which  the  enemy  from  New 
York  or  any  part  of  our  coast  can  ever  hope  to  co-operate  with  an 
army  from  Canada;  that  the  possession  of  it  is  indispensably  essen- 
tial to  preserve  the  communication  between  the  Eastern,  Middle 
and  Southern  States ;  and,  further,  that  upon  its  security  in  a 
great  measure  depend  our  chief  supplies  of  flour  for  the  subsist- 
ence of  such  forces  as  we  may  have  occasion  for  in  the  course  of 
the  war  in  the  eastern  or  northern  departments,  or  in  the  country 
lying  high  up  on  the  west  side  of  it  These  facts  are  familiar  to 
all  \  they  are  familiar  to  you.  I  therefore  request  you,  in  the  most 
urgent  terms,  to  turn  your  most  serious  and  active  attention  to 
this  infinitely  important  object.  Seize  the  present  opportunity 
and  employ  your  whole  force  and  all  the  meatis  in  your  power  for  erecting 
and  completing^  as  far  as  it  shall  be  possible,  such  works  and  obstructions 
as  may  be  necessary  to  defend  and  secure  the  river  against  any  future 
attempts  of  the  enemy.  You  will  consult  Governor  Clinton,  Gen- 
eral Parsons,  and  the  French  engineer,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Radiere, 
upon  the  occasion.  By  gaining  the  passage,  you  know  the  enemy 
have  already  laid  waste  and  destroyed  all  the  houses,  mills,  and 
towns  accessible  to  them.  Unless  proper  measures  are  taken  to 
prevent  them,  they  will  renew  their  ravages  in  the  spring,  or  as 
soon  as  the  season  will  admit,  and  perhaps  Albany,  the  only  town 
in  the  State  of  any  importance  remaining  in  our  hands,  may 
undergo  a  like  fate,  and  a  general  havoc  and  devastation  take 
place.  To  prevent  these  evils,  therefore,  I  shall  expect  that  you 
will  exert  every  nerve  and  employ  your  whole  force  in  future,  while 
and  whenever  it  is  practicable,  in  constructing  and  forwarding  the  proper 
works  and  means  of  defense.  The  troops  must  not  be  kept  out  on 
comm.and  and  acting  in  detachments  to  cover  the  country  below, 
which  is  a  consideration  infinitely  less  important  and  interesting." 

As  a  result  of  renewed  effort  in  this  direction,  a  com- 
mission was  appointed  by  the  Provincial  Convention  of 
New  York  toward  the  middle  of  January,  1778,  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  Highlands,  and  with  the  military  authorities 
to  make  report  as  to  the  most  eligible  points  for  defensive 


no  THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

work,  after  having  personally  inspected  the  several  passes 
of  the  river. 

This  committee,  as  appears  from  the  record,  reported 
as  follows,  under  the  date  of  Wednesday,  January  14, 
1778: 

"  Your  committee,  who  were  sent  to  ascertain  the  places  for 
fixing  a  chain  and  erecting  fortifications  for  obstructing  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Hudson  River,  beg  leave  to  report  that  they  have 
carefully  viewed  the  ground  on  which  Fort  Clinton  lately  stood, 
and  its  environs,  and  find  that  the  ground  is  so  intersected  with 
long,  deep  hollows  that  the  enemy  might  approach  without  any 
annoyance  from  the  garrison  within  the  fort  to  within  a  few  yards 
of  the  walls,  unless  a  redoubt  should  be  raised  to  clear  the  hollows 
next  the  fort,  which  must  be  built  at  such  distance  from  the  fort 
that  it  could  not  be  supported  from  thence  in  case  of  an  assault,  so 
that  the  enemy  might  make  themselves  masters  of  the  redoubt  the 
first  dark  night  aftei  their  landing,  which  would  be  a  good  work  ready 
to  their  hand  for  annoying  the  fort  and  facilitating  their  operations 
against  it ;  and,  together  with  the  eminences  and  broken  ground 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  fort,  would  render  it  impossible  for 
the  garrison  to  resist  a  general  assault  for  many  hours  together.  An- 
other objection  that  appeared  to  the  committee  was  the  want  of  earth 
on  the  spot,  which  would  reduce  the  engineer  to  the  necessity  of 
erecting  his  works  entirely  of  timber,  which  must  be  brought  to 
Pooploop's  Kill  in  rafts,  and  from  thence  drawn  up  a  steep  and 
difficult  road  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  The  rafts  cannot  be  made  till 
the  water  is  warm  enough  for  men  to  work  in  it,  by  which  it  is 
probable  that  a  fort  cannot  be  erected  before  the  ships  of  the 
enemy  will  come  up  the  river. 

'■'■  Besides,  at  this  place  the  chain  must  be  laid  across  the  river, 
so  that  it  will  receive  the  whole  force  of  the  ships  coming  with  all 
the  strength  of  the  tide  and  wind  on  a  line  of  three  or  four  miles. 
Add  to  these,  if  the  enemy  should  be  able  to  possess  themselves  of 
the  passes  in  the  mountains  through  which  they  marched  to  the 
attacks  of  Forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton,  it  would  be  extremely 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  for  the  militia  of  the  country  to  raise 
the  siege. 


DEFENSIVE    WORK  A  T    WEST  POINT.  I  I  I 

"Upon  viewing  the  country  at  and  about  West  Point,  the  com- 
mittee found  that  there  were  several  places  at  which  the  enemy- 
might  land  and  proceed  immediately  to  some  high  grounds  that 
would  command  a  fort  erected  at  West  Point,  at  the  distance  of 
six  or  seven  hundred  yards,  from  which  they  might  carry  on  their 
approaches  through  a  light,  gravelly  soil,  so  that  it  would  be 
impossible  for  the  fort  to  stand  a  long  siege.  But  to  balance  this 
disadvantage  in  this  place,  there  is  plenty  of  earth.  The  timber 
may  be  brought  to  the  spot  by  good  roads  from  high  grounds  at 
the  distance  of  one  to  three  miles.  Three  hundred  feet  less  of 
chain  will  be  requisite  at  this  place  than  at  Fort  Clinton.  It  will 
be  laid  across  in  a  place  where  vessels  going  up  the  river  most 
usually  lose  their  headway.  Water-batteries  may  be  built  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  for  protecting  the  chain  and  annoying  the  ships 
coming  up  the  river,  which  will  be  completely  commanded  from 
the  walls  of  the  fort.  There  are  so  many  passes  across  the 
mountains  to  this  place  that  it  will  be  almost  impossible  for  the 
enemy  to  prevent  the  militia  from  coming  to  the  relief  of  the 
garrison. 

''  From  these  considerations  the  committee  are  led  to  conclude 
that  the  most  proper  place  to  obstruct  the  navigation  of  the  river 
is  at  West  Point ;  but  are  at  the  same  time  fully  convinced  that  no 
obstructions  on  the  banks  of  the  river  can  effectually  secure  the 
country,  unless  a  body  of  light  troops,  to  consist  of  at  least  two 
thousand  effective  men,  be  constantly  stationed  in  the  mountains 
while  the  navigation  of  the  river  is  practicable,  to  obstruct  the 
enemy  in  their  approach  by  land. 

""John  Sloss  Hobart, 
"  Henry  Wisner. 
,  "John  Hathorn, 

"  Zeph.  Platt." 

Within  a  short  time  after  the  making  of  this  report 
a  work  was  begun  at  the  locahty  indicated,  and  water- 
batteries  so  placed  as  to  be  protected  by  it.  This  work 
was  called  Fort  Arnold  until  the  infamous  attempt  of  the 
General  of  that  name  to  betray  his  country,  when  it 
became    known    as    Fort    Clinton.       In    addition   to   the 


112  THE    VOLUNTEER   SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Other  works  erected  at  West  Point  during  the  early 
part  of  1778,  a  chain  and  boom  were  constructed,  to  be 
drawn  across  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  completely 
obstructing  the  passage.  Portions  of  this  chain  and  boom 
still  remain,  as  relics  of  the  part  played  by  West  Point 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.^ 

The  failure  to  obtain  possession  of  the  Hudson  River 
by  force  of  arms  did  not  lessen  the  determination  of  the 
British  commander  at  New  York  to  achieve  a  result  so 
vitally  important  to  the  success  of  the  British  cause.  The 
chief  instrument  in  the  second  attempt  was  treachery, 
and  a  successful  issue  was  more  nearly  obtained  by  the 
British  from  this  resort  than  from  the  open  campaign  of 
Burgoyne  and  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 

Benedict  Arnold  was  the  only  citizen-soldier  of  America 
who  drew  his  sword  upon  his  country  in  its  first  great 
peril.  Arnold  left  a  mercantile  business  to  enter  the 
service  of  his  country.  Upon  several  occasions  he  exhib- 
ited great  military  skill  and  bravery.  At  the  battle  of 
Bemis'  Heights,  which  witnessed  the  defeat  of  Burgoyne, 
he  so  nearly  divided  the  honors  with  Gates  that  the 
latter  became  very  jealous  of  him.  Although  a  man  of 
undoubted  talent  and  courage,  he  was  possessed  of  many 
detestable  personal  qualities.  Under  the  spur  of  a  fancied 
neglect  or  oversight  in  the  matter  of  promotion,  Arnold 
determined  to  betray  the  cause  he  had  so  efficiently  sup- 


^For  a  compact  account  of  the  establishment  of  West  Point,  and  much  informa- 
tion in  detail  concerning  it,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  interesting  volume 
of  Captain  Boynlon,  before  quoted  herein. 


THE    VOLUNTEER  AND    THE  BRITISH  SPY.  II3 

ported.  With  this  purpose  in  view,  he  soHcited  and 
obtained  the  command  of  West  Point.  He  then  entered 
into  negotiations  with  Sir  Henry  Chnton,  through  Major 
Andre,  to  practically  deliver  the  fortifications  of  the 
Hudson  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  The  plot  was 
perilously  near  to  success,  and  only  failed  through  the 
intrepidity  and  loyal  honesty  of  three  representatives  of  the 
volunteer  soldiery  of  America. 

Major  Andre,  the  British  spy,  had  received  full  writ- 
ten descriptions  of  the  defenses  at  West  Point,  with 
Arnold's  disposition  of  their  forces,  which  latter  were  to 
be  so  arranged  that  both  fortifications  and  defenses  might 
easily  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  With  these 
treacherous  documents  concealed  in  his  stocking,  he  was 
on  his  way  to  New  York  to  consummate  a  victory  that 
only  treachery  could  achieve.  If  Andre  had  reached  his 
destination  unmolested,  there  was  still  a  chance  that  the 
colonists  might  fail.  But  Burgoyne  had  been  the  victim 
of  a  previously  unknown  sort  of  soldier;  and  as  Andre 
rode  quietly  along,  secure  in  the  belief  that  the  coveted 
prize  was  soon  to  be  in  possession  of  the  English,  he  was 
affrighted  by  an  apparition  that  apparently  sprang  upon 
him  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  It  was  the  American 
volunteer— vigilsint,  patriotic,  and  incorruptible.  In  the 
very  moment  when  the  British  spy  thought  himself  secure 
from  further  danger  of  molestation,  and  when,  doubtless, 
he  was  congratulating  himself  upon  the  great  service  he 
had  rendered  to  his  sovereign,  as  also  the  personal  reward 
that  was  sure  to   follow  it,   the   ever-watchful  volunteer 


114  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

emerged  from  beneath  the  covering  of  a  wayside  bush, 
and  crushed  the  beast  before  it  could  make  a  spring. 

John  Paulding,  David  Williams,  and  Isaac  Van  Wert 
were  three  representatives  of  the  volunteer  soldiery  of  the 
United  States.  In  frustrating  the  base  plan  of  Benedict 
Arnold  to  betray  his  country,  they  earned  a  fame  that  will 
live  as  long  as  patriotism,  valor,  and  faithfulness  are  wor- 
shiped as  virtues  to  be  emulated  by  the  free  citizens  of 
the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MILITARY  EDUCATION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES THE  NATURE 

OF  GENIUS AN  INHERENT  SOMETHING  IN  EVERY  INDI- 
VIDUAL   THAT    GIVES    SHAPE    TO    HIS    DESTINY FALLACY 

OF  THE  POPULAR  BELIEF  IN  THE  EXCLUSIVE  EFFICACY 
OF  SPECIFIC  EDUCATION  IN  THE  LIFE-CALLINGS CITA- 
TION    OF     CELEBRATED     EXAMPLES     OF     GREAT    SOLDIERS 

AND  OF  GREAT  INVENTORS GROWTH  OF  THE  SENTIMENT 

IN  FAVOR  OF  MILITARY  EDUCATION  AFTER  THE  REVOLU- 
TION  THE      ATTEMPT      OF      WASHINGTON       TO      DIFFUSE 

MILITARY  KNOWLEDGE  AMONG  THE  PEOPLE,  AND  TO 
MAKE    SOLDIERS    WITHOUT    RESORTING    TO    THE    DANGERS 

OF      A      STANDING      ARMY GENERAL      KNOx's      HISTORIC 

PAPER     ON     THE     ORGANIZATION     OF     THE     MILITIA HIS 

BRILLIANT    MILITARY    CAREER. 

KNOWLEDGE  is  to  be  considered  as  much  in  the 
nature  of  an  acquisition  as  is  property ;  and  expe- 
rience and  training  are  indisputably  necessary  to  the 
attainment  of  skill  in  any  of  the  varied  occupations  of 
life.  These  are  fundamental  truths,  but  in  their  practical 
application  they  do  not  reach  to  the  extent  that  seems 
indicated  by  their  abstract  statement.  Out  of  their  gen- 
eral formulation  and  unrestricted  acceptance  there  has 
grown  a  great  deal  of  mischievous  error.  It  is  a  fact  not 
to  be  gainsaid  that  instruction  conveys  to  the  pupil  the 

115 


Il6  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

technical  knowledge  connected  with  the  craft  or  profes- 
sioi;i  he  purposes  to  acquire,  which,  when  the  correlating 
manual  or  mental  training  that  pertains  to  it  is  added, 
may  give  him  the  character  of  an  expert,  with  varying 
degrees  of  excellence. 

In  the  results  of  human  achievement,  however,  there 
is  something  beyond  the  features  of  mere  technical  educa- 
tion and  training  that  constantly  obtrudes  itself  as  a  chief 
factor  of  the  whole  problem  of  life-calling. 

The  observation  of  this  fact — or  this  something,  rather 
—  probably  corresponds  pretty  closely  in  date  with  the 
origin  of  man  himself;  and  it  is  this  observation,  doubt- 
less, that  has  given  rise  to  an  error  antipodal  in  character 
to  that  mentioned  above,  which,  coming  down  from  a  Latin 
author,  has  formulated  itself  in  the  English  proverb, 
"Poets  are  born,  not  made."  In  the  sense  that  men  are 
born  so  endowed  with  the  faculties  of  the  poet  that  they 
have  no  need  to  study  the  rules  of  verse,  nor  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  history  and  literature  in  all  of  its  depart- 
ments, nor  to  become  familiar  with  nature  in  its  every 
aspect,  the  proverb  is  fallacious  in  conception  and  in 
declaration.  If  it  be  construed,  however,  in  the  sense  of 
its  evident  meaning,  viz.:  that  the  making  of  a  successful 
poet  implies  the  possession  of  inherent  qualities  in  the 
particular  individual,  which  qualities  by  aid  of  appropriate 
adjuncts  are  capable  of  high  development,  the  saw  repre- 
sents a  truth  susceptible  of  profuse  demonstration  in 
every  channel  of  life. 

The  Sacred  Writings  have  informed  us  that  an  indi- 


NIMROD    THE  MIGirrY  IIUNTEK.  ny 

vidual  called  Nimrod  was  "a  mighty  hunter."  This  state- 
ment will,  upon  reflection,  yield  testimony  very  ancient  in 
character.  The  hunter  Nimrod  lived  in  prehistoric  time. 
It  is  not  the  simple  fact  that  a  man  standing  in  the  early 
morninof  of  human  creation  should  be  fond  of  huntine, 
that  interests  a  people  moving  away  down  the  valley  of 
Time  "in  some  wee  short  hour  ayont  the  twal."  It  is 
the  adjective  that  gives  the  statement  importance.  The 
assertion  that  Nimrod  was  a  mighty  hunter  implies  a 
superiority  in  craft  and  skill  above  all  other  hunters  of 
Nimrod's  epoch.  It  conveys  the  idea  of  an  excellence 
beyond  that  obtained  from  set  precept  and  rule.  It  in- 
volves, of  a  necessity,  the  possession  of  some  particular 
attribute  of  the  individual  that  made  him  marked  among 
those  who  followed  the  chase.  This  piece  of  informa- 
tion concerning  Nimrod  is  all  that  we  have  of  him  in 
the  present  age.  Short  as  the  statement  is,  however, 
and  important  as  it  may  appear,  reflection  will  show 
that  a  great  truth  lies  under  it.  The  word  mighty,  which 
distinguishes  Nimrod  from  all  others  of  his  time,  illus- 
trates the  nature  of  the  something  above  referred  to  —  a 
something  within  the  individual  which  in  its  crudity  re- 
sembles a  jewel  in  the  rough,  and  in  its  full  development 
and  blaze  of  power  the  same  jewel  after  it  has  passed  the 
hands  of  the  skillful  lapidary,  when  it  exhibits,  not  only 
the  art  employed  in  the  cut  and  polish  of  the  stone,  but 
likewise  the  native  flash,  the  brilliant  fire  inherent  in  the 
gem. 

The  general  drift  of  the  modern  popular  judgment 


Il8  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

tends  to  the  side  of  special  education  and  training  as  the 
agents  that  make  not  only  poets,  but  likewise  soldiers, 
doctors,  lawyers,  ministers,  musicians,  artists,  artisans,  etc. 
"There  is  no  royal  road  to  mathematics,"  says  another 
proverb,  by  which  we  are  to  understand  that  men  become 
mathematicians  only  by  hard  labor  at  books,  under  the 
grinding  hand  of  direct  tuition.  The  amount  of  money 
that  is  expended  in  our  modern  age  by  fond  parents  in 
the  effort  to  make  musicians  and  singers  of  daughters 
that  have  "no  music  in  their  souls;"  to  make  artists  of 
those  that  have  no  appreciation  of  color  and  no  eye  for 
symmetry;  to  make  great  lawyers  of  youths  that  have 
no  logical  faculty  in  their  mental  make-up,  would  soon  pay 
off  our  national  debt  if  applied  to  that  purpose.  The 
shores  of  the  fast-rolling,  roaring,  surging  stream  of  mod- 
ern life  are  strewn  with  the  wrecks  of  young  men  and 
women  who  have  been  stranded  by  the  vain  attempt  to 
educate  them  for  parts  for  which  they  had  no  fitness. 
Some  youths  are  "taught"  the  law,  who,  after  the  bitter 
disappointments  of  a  few  years,  relinquish  it  with  the 
belief  that  under  our  modern  system  talent  is  rarely 
appreciated.  Others,  still,  are  "taught"  to  be  soldiers, 
for  service  upon  land  or  sea.  Many  of  these,  being  dili- 
gent students,  rank  high  in  their  classes,  and  sometimes 
even  carry  off  the  honors  of  the  institution.  In  the  over- 
whelming majority  of  these  cases,  as  the  record  will  show, 
the  brilliant  student,  after  leaving  his  alma  mater,  sinks 
into  obscurity  and  is  never  heard  of  again  in  his  profes- 
sion.    Opportunities  for  distinction  come  and  pass,  and 


THE  NA  TURE  OF  GENIUS. 


119 


he  makes  no  mark.  Some  illustrations  of  the  truth  of 
this  observation  will  be  presented  in  the  subsequent 
pages. 

Between  the  extreme  statements  of  the  two  proverbs 
formulated  above,  viz.:  "  Poets  are  born,  not  made,"  and 
"There  is  no  royal  road  to  mathematics,"  the  safe  truth 
will  be  most  surely  found.  The  striking  of  the  golden 
mean,  the  mtrea  mediocritas  of  the  Latin  writer,  will 
develop  the  actual  fact  in  this  as  in  all  other  matters. 
Men  become  great  lawyers  only  through  the  possession 
of  a  natural  aptitude  or  talent,  supplemented  by  a  sufifi- 
cient  book-knowledge  of  laws,  statutes,  codes,  rules  of 
procedure,  decisions,  etc.;  and  they  become  great  soldiers 
through  special  bent,  and  the  acquisition  of  those  branches 
of  knowledge  that  are  considered  technical  to  the  military 
art. 

As  before  remarked,  however,  the  drift  of  practical 
opinion  in  the  modern  day  is  toward  a  belief  in  the  essen- 
tial and  exclusive  nature  of  special  education  and  training 
in  all  the  varied  directions  of  life.  It  is  wholly  unneces- 
sary to  the  present  purpose  to  discuss  the  inherent 
talent,  aptitude,  bent,  direction,  or  something,  belonging 
to  the  individual,  under  its  metaphysical  aspect.  The 
practical  fact  is,  that  it  appears  in  all  the  problems  of 
life-occupation,  thwarting  the  efforts  of  anxious  parents 
and  confounding  the  hopes  and  predictions  of  friends. 
It  may  reside  in  the  physical  or  in  the  mental  constitu- 
tion of  the  individual.  It  may  be  a  faculty  or  functional 
manifestation  of  the  intellectual  organ,  or  it  may  belong 


I20  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

to  the  physical  structure  Itself.  Whatever  its  precise 
nature,  one  thing  is  certain,  viz.:  that  it  is  born  with  the 
individual ;  and,  other  things  being  equal,  it  forever  shapes 
and  determines  the  destiny  of  the  individual  possessing  it. 
It  is  not  made  by  art,  nor  created  by  education.  It  is  not 
called  into  being  by  opportunity,  though  it  is  chiefly 
through  opportunity  that  its  presence  may  become  known. 
Having  no  form,  it  cannot  be  seen  by  the  eye ;  but,  mani- 
festing its  existence  by  character  and  demonstration  at 
once  striking  and  convincing,  it  is  not  slow  to  en- 
force recognition.  We  have  learned  to  call  the  quality 
or  attribute  under  consideration  by  the  Latin  word 
genius. 

It  is  believed  that  every  human  being  of  normal  con- 
stitution possesses  genius  in  greater  or  less  degree.  It 
flows  in  different  channels,  but  it  presides  over  all  human 
effort.  Cyrus  the  Persian,  Alexander  the  Hellene, 
Julius  Caesar  the  Roman,  and  the  first  Napoleon  illus- 
trate its  military  development.  The  inventors  of  printing, 
of  the  use  of  steam,  of  the  application  of  electricity,  etc., 
demonstrate  it  in  the  direction  of  mechanics;  while  a  man 
in  Paris  has  acquired,  in  late  years,  a  cosmopolitan  repu- 
tation in  the  fabrication  of  female  costumes.  It  is  claimed, 
by  those  familiar  with  such  things,  that  in  his  particular 
pursuit  he  stands  without  a  rival  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  As  no  such  claim  can  be  made  in  behalf  of  either 
Cyrus,  Alexander,  Csesar,  or  Napoleon,  the  genius  of  the 
modern  individual  in  his  own  sphere  of  activity  seems 
greater  than  that  of  those  renowned  soldiers  of  the  past. 


ILL  US  TEA  TIONS  OF  GEN /US.  121 

In  one  direction  it  may  be  said  that  he  surpasses  them 
in  their  own  profession  —  that  of  dress-parade. 

The  foregoing  general  observations  will  serve  to  pre- 
face the  subject  which  the  author  intends  to  present  and 
somewhat  fully  to  discuss  in  the  ensuing  chapters — that 
of  military  education. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  certain  of 
the  leading  statesmen  of  the  day  became  impressed  by  the 
necessity  demanding  the  establishment  of  an  institution 
for  the  military  education  of  the  future  soldiers  of  the 
country.  National  independence  had  been  secured  after 
a  struggle  reaching  over  a  period  of  eight  years,  but  the 
uncertain  future  still  lay  before  the  young  nation  as  an 
unsolved  problem.  The  conflict  between  the  rulers  and 
the  ruled  had  reached  a  critical  point  the  world  over. 
The  establishment  of  such  a  republic  as  that  contemplated 
and  declared  by  the  people  of  the  United  States  was  a 
dangerous  experiment  for  the  crowned  monarchs  of  the 
old  hemisphere,  and  our  forefathers  fully  realized  the 
perils  that  menaced  it.  The  dissensions  and  jealousies 
of  the  older  nations  among  themselves  seemed  to  be  a 
beacon-light  of  safety  in  the  immediate  present,  but  the 
fact  that  a  readiness  for  war  is  the  best  security  of  peace 
was  patent  enough  to  the  men  who  had  passed  through 
the  fires  of  the  Revolution. 

It  is  not  strange,  then,  that  an  early  movement  in  the 
matter  of  military  education  took  place.  The  expediency 
of  a  military  school  had  been  suggested,  indeed,  soon  after 
the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  but  it 


122  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA, 

was  discussed  after  the  close  of  the  war,  for  nearly  twenty- 
years,  before  positive  enactment  gave  such  definite  form 
to  the  subject  as  resulted  in  the  location  of  a  school  for 
military  instruction  at  West  Point,  in  the  State  of  Nev^ 
York. 

Before  proceeding  to  review  the  immediate  measures 
through  which  the  school  referred  to  was  actually  founded, 
it  will  be  interesting  to  consider  the  opinions  of  some  of 
the  men  upon  whom  had  devolved  both  counsel  and 
direction  during  the  bitter  struggle  that  finally  gave 
independence  to  the  colonies,  upon  the  subject  of  the 
future  military  necessities  of  the  young  nation. 

With  the  whole  force  of  his  mind  directed  to  the 
elaboration  of  a  system  of  government  that  should  give 
permanence  to  the  nation  in  whose  interest  he  had  made 
so  many  sacrifices.  General  Washington,  after  his  inaugu- 
ration as  President,  became  foremost  in  the  effort  to  devise 
a  plan  which,  while  adequate  to  afford  military  defense 
against  the  attempts  of  foreign  enemies,  should  be  shorn 
of  the  dangers  to  republican  government  of  a  large  stand- 
ing army.  In  this  effort  he  was  seconded  by  some  of  the 
ablest  statesmen  of  that  early  day,  prominent  among  whom 
were  Jefferson,  Hamilton,  Knox,  and  others. 

In  a  special  message  to  the  United  States  Senate,  at 
the  first  session  of  Congress,  President  Washington,  under 
date  of  August  7th,  1 789,  called  the  attention  of  its  mem- 
bers to  the  subject  referred  to,  as  follows: 

"Along  with  this  object  I  am  induced  to  suggest  another,  with 
the  national   importance  and  necessity  of  which  I  am  deeply  im- 


SENTIMENT  FOR  MILITAR  V  ED  UCA  TION.  I  2  3 

pressed.  I  mean  some  uniform  and  effective  system  for  the  militia 
of  the  United  States.  It  is  unnecessary  to  offer  arguments  in 
recommendation  of  a  measure  on  which  the  honor,  safety,  and  well- 
being  of  our  country  so  evidently  and  so  essentially  depends  ;  but  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  observe  that  I  am  particularly  anxious  it, 
should  receive  as  early  attention  as  circumstances  will  admit, 
because  it  is  now  in  our  power  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  military 
knowledge  disseminated  through  the  several  States  by  means  of 
the  many  well  instructed  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  late  army,  a 
resource  which  is  daily  diminishing  by  death  and  other  causes.  To 
suffer  this  peculiar  advantage  to  pass  away  unimproved,  would  be  to 
neglect  an  opportunity  which  will  never  again  occur,  unless,  unfor- 
tunately, we  should  again  be  involved  in  a  long  and  arduous  war."^ 

No  action  upon  this  recommendation,  so  strongly 
expressed,  was  taken  by  the  Senate.  One  of  the  most 
comprehensive  state  papers  of  that  early  day  had  been 
prepared  by  General  Knox  upon  this  subject,  and  formally 
presented,  in  his  character  of  "Secretary  for  the  Depart- 
ment of  War,"  to  the  consideration  of  Congress.  After 
this  it  was  revised  by  President  Washington,  so  as  to  con- 
form it  to  his  own  views,  and  transmitted  by  him  to 
Congress,  at  its  second  session  in  New  York,  with  the 
following  message : 

**  Gentlemen  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives : 

"The  Secretary  of  the  Department  of  War  has  submitted  to 
me  certain  principles  to  serve  as  a  plan  for  the  general  arrange- 
ment of  the  militia  of  the  United  States. 

*'  Conceiving  the  subject  to  be  of  the  highest  importance  to  the 
welfare  of  our  country,  and  liable  to  be  placed  in  various  points  of 
view,  I  have  directed  him  to  lay  the  plan  before  Congress,  for  their 
information,  in  order  that  they  may  make  such  use  thereof  as  they 
may  judge  proper. 

"January  21,  1790."^ 


^  Journal  of  the  First  Session  of  the  Senate,  p.  55.      ^Op.  cit.,  p.  107. 


124  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA 

The  paper  of  General  Knox  is  in  the  nature  of  a 
special  report.  Covering  as  it  does  the  views  of  Wash- 
ington at  that  time,  as  well  as  of  its  author,  the  docu- 
ment possesses  high  importance  as  representative  of  the 
experience  brought  by  the  war  to  those  who,  after  having 
assisted  to  call  a  new  nation  into  life,  were  laboring  to 
surround  it  with  conditions  most  surely  conducive  to  its 
future  well-being.  This  consideration  alone  would  be  a 
sufficient  excuse  for  the  introduction  into  the  present  vol- 
ume of  such  parts  of  a  state  paper  as  might  be  not  alone 
instructive  as  to  things  of  the  past,  but  even  suggestive  as 
to  things  of  the  future,  when  viewed  at  the  present  day. 

In  addition  to  the  consideration  just  mentioned,  how- 
ever, there  exists  another  that  amply  justifies  the  republi- 
cation of  the  whole  report,  as  well  as  of  many  other  docu- 
ments relating  to  the  subject  now  being  treated.  The 
records  of  our  national  history  are  contained  in  volumes 
that  are  of  extremely  difficult  access  to  the  general 
people.  They  are  scattered  through  the  journals  of  both 
houses  of  Congress,  in  executive  departments,  in  the 
volumes  designated  "  American  State  Papers,"  in  the 
"American  Archives,"  and  in  a  host  of  other  volumes. 
These  works  are  not  upon  sale  in  the  book-stores,  and  are 
only  to  be  found  to  a  limited  extent  in  private  libraries. 

Away  from  the  large  centers,  and  especially  from  the 
seat  of  government  at  Washington,  it  is  hardly  possible 
for  the  general  public  to  consult  state  and  national 
records  with  a  view  to  following  the  history  and  course 
of  any  particular  subject.     To  some  who  honor  this  book 


SKETCH  OF  THE  FIRST  WAR  SECRETARY.  I  25 

with  perusal  the  relating  documents  will,  without  doubt, 
be  familiar ;  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  to  the  overwhelming 
majority  of  its  readers  the  records  bearing  upon  the  sub- 
jects treated  are  wholly  inaccessible.  With  a  view  of 
remedying  this  deficiency,  and  of  popularizing,  as  far  as 
the  influence  of  the  volume  extends,  a  knowledge  of  the 
subject  in  a  bibliographic  sense,  the  author  has  decided  to 
place  all  documents  bearing  upon  the  topic  under  treat- 
ment in  these  pages  in  full  before  his  readers,  in  order 
that  the  book  may  have  value  as  a  work  of  easy  refer- 
ence if  it  shall  possess  no  other  claim  upon  the  public 
favor. 

The  author  of  the  paper  presently  to  be  copied,  Gen- 
eral Henry  Knox,  was  an  American  by  birth  and  training. 
Born  in  an  humble  sphere,  he  received  only  a  common- 
school  education,  and  began  the  business  of  life  as  an 
ordinary  tradesman.  Early  in  his  career  he  began  to 
evince  a  fondness  for  the  military  art,  which  soon  led  to 
his  connection  with  a  local  artillery  company.  Applying 
himself  with  much  zeal  to  the  study  of  military  science, 
he  subsequently  distinguished  himself  as  a  volunteer  aide 
to  General  Ward,  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

The  sagacious  eye  of  Washington  soon  after  fell  upon 
him  as  one  of  the  volunteer  officers  upon  whom  the  coun- 
try must  rely  in  the  impending  struggle  with  the  British. 
As  early  as  November,  1775,  he  was  placed  in  command 
of  the  artillery  and  sent  to  the  Canadian  border  upon  an 
important  mission  —  that  of  procuring  cannon  and  ord- 
nance  stores   from   the   forts   upon   the   frontier.      This 


126  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

mission  was  consummated  with  brilliant  success.  One 
year  after  this  service  he  was  made  a  Brigadier-General, 
and  commanded  the  artillery  of  the  main  army  through- 
out the  war.  In  most  of  the  important  battles  of  the 
Revolution,  he  lent  an  aid  to  their  successful  issue  at  once 
brilliant  and  decisive.  One  year  before  the  close  of  hos- 
tilities, he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Major-General, 
and  after  their  termination  he  rendered  important  service 
in  arranging  with  Sir  Guy  Carleton  for  the  surrender  of 
New  York. 

Henry  Knox  was  a  worthy  representative  of  the 
American  citizen-soldier.  He  was  a  man  whose  natural 
bent  or  genius  led  him  from  the  counter  of  the  tradesman 
to  the  brilliant  command  of  an  army.  With  nothing  but 
the  common-school  education  of  the  time  (which  was  a 
very  different  thing  from  the  common-school  education  of 
to-day)  as  an  adjunct,  he  achieved  a  success  in  the  profes- 
sion of  arms  which  no  system  of  mere  education  could 
have  brought  him,  had  not  the  inspiration  of  the  soldier 
led  him  with  invisible  hand  to  the  consummation  of  his 
destiny.  Nor,  to  place  it  under  the  opposing  light,  is  it 
at  all  probable  that  the  most  careful  preliminary  educa- 
tion in  the  best  of  military  schools  could  have  rendered 
General  Knox's  subsequent  military  career  any  more  bril- 
liant than  it  actually  became  under  stimulus  of  the  native 
fire  which  gave  motion  and  direction  to  that  career. 
Earlier  and  more  extended  experience  it  might  have 
given  him.  But  the  accomplishments  of  genius,  like 
water,  never  mount  higher  than  the  source,  and  they  will 


HENRY  KNOX,   THE  TYPICAL  CITIZEN-SOLDIER.  12/ 

attain  that  level  in  spite  of  the  most  formidable  obstruc- 
tions. A  little  rivulet  springing  from  the  mountain-side 
will  cut  its  way  through  pristine  rocks  which  have  been 
upheaved  by  the  fires  of  earth,  apparently  with  the  par- 
ticular object  to  block  the  way  of  the  brook  in  its  noisy 
march  to  the  sea.  But,  scorning  the  rocks,  it  chisels  its 
bed  through  the  dark  granites,  and  draws  a  line  of  glitter- 
ing light  from  the  frowning  mountain  to  the  deep-rolling 
ocean,  and  forever  marks  an  oasis  of  refreshment  to  the 
thirsty  traveler  in  his  weary  journey  of  life. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  1783,  General  Knox  was 
still  a  very  young  man,  being  only  thirty-three  years  of 
age.  The  country  could  not  afford  to  lose  the  services  of 
one  who  had  borne  so  prominent  a  part  in  the  past,  and 
who  promised  so  much  of  usefulness  in  the  future.  He 
was  made  Secretary  of  War  in  1785,  and  held  the  position 
for  a  period  of  ten  years.  He  had  given  much  thought 
to  a  subject  that  had  engaged  the  general  attention,  and 
the  report  made  by  him  embraces  his  views  of  it.  This 
report  may  be  found  in  the  "American  State  Papers, 
Military  Affairs,  volume  I."  It  was  submitted  to  the  first 
Congress  at  its  second  session  by  President  Washington, 
to  whom  it  was  addressed.     Its  text  is  as  follows: 

"War  Office,  January  18,  1790. 
^'■Sir:  Having  submitted  to  your  consideration  a  plan  for  the 
arrangement  of  the  militia  of  the  United  States,  which  I  had  pre- 
sented to  the  late  Congress,  and  you  having  approved  the  general 
principles  thereof,  with  certain  exceptions,  I  now  respectfully  lay 
the  same  before  you,  modified  according  to  the  alterations  you 
were  pleased  to  suggest.     It  has  been  my  anxious  desire  to  devise 


128  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

a  national  system  of  defense  adequate  to  the  probable  exigencies 
of  the  United  States,  whether  arising  from  internal  or  external 
causes,  and  at  the  same  time  to  erect  a  standard  of  republican 
magnanimity  independent  of  and  superior  to  the  powerful  influ- 
ences of  wealth. 

"  The  convulsive  events,  generated  by  the  inordinate  pursuit  of 
riches  or  ambition,  require  that  the  Government  should  possess  a 
strong  corrective  arm. 

"  The  idea  is  therefore  submitted,  whether  an  efficient  military 
branch  of  government  can  be  invented  with  safety  to  the  great 
principles  of  liberty,  unless  the  same  shall  be  formed  of  the  people 
themselves  and  supported  by  their  habits  and  manners, 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  with  the  most  perfect  respect, 
"  Your  most  obedient  servant, 

"H.  Knox, 
"  Secretary  for  the  Department  of  War. 
"The  President  of  the  United  States." 

The  Introduction. 

"That  a  well  constituted  republic  is  more  favorable  to  the 
liberties  of  society,  and  that  its  principles  give  a  higher  elevation 
to  the  human  mind  than  any  other  form  of  government,  has  gener- 
ally been  acknowledged  by  the  unprejudiced  and  enlightened  part 
of  mankind, 

"  But  it  is  at  the  same  time  acknowledged  that,  unless  a  repub- 
lic prepares  itself  by  proper  arrangements  to  meet  those  exigencies 
to  which  all  states  are  in  a  degree  liable,  its  peace  and  existence 
are  more  precarious  than  the  forms  of  government  in  which  the 
will  of  one  directs  the  conduct  of  the  whole  for  the  defense  of  the 
nation. 

"  A  government  whose  measures  must  be  the  result  of  multi- 
plied deliberations  is  seldom  in  a  situation  to  produce  instantly  those 
exertions  which  the  occasion  may  demand  ;  therefore  it  ought  to 
possess  such  energetic  establishments  as  should  enable  it,  by  the 
vigor  of  its  own  citizens,  to  control  events  as  they  arise  instead 
of  being  convulsed  or  subverted  by  them. 

"  It  is  the  misfortune  of  modern  ages  that  governments  have 
been  formed  by  chance  and  events,  instead  of  system  ;  that,  with- 
out fixed  principles,  they  are  braced  or  relaxed  from  time  to  time 


SECRE  TAR  V  KNOX' S  MILITIA  REP  OR  T.  I  2  9 

according  to  the  predominating  power  of  the  rulers  or  the  ruled  ; 
the  rulers  possessing  separate  interests  from  the  people,  excepting 
in  some  of  the  high-toned  monarchies,  m  which  all  opposition  to 
the  will  of  the  princes  seems  annihilated. 

'*  Hence  we  look  round  Europe  in  vain  for  an  extensive  govern- 
ment rising  on  the  power  inherent  in  the  people,  and  performing 
its  operations  entirely  for  their  benefit.  But  we  find  artificial  force 
governing  everywhere,  and  the  peo'ple  generally  made  subservient 
to  the  elevation  and  caprice  of  the  few,  almost  every  nation  appear- 
ing to  be  busily  employed  in  conducting  some  external  war,  grap- 
pling with  internal  commotion,  or  endeavoring  to  extricate  itself 
from  impending  debts  which  threaten  to  overwhelm  it  with  ruin. 
Princes  and  ministers  seem  neither  to  have  leisure  nor  inclination 
to  bring  forward  institutions  for  diffusing  general  strength,  knowl- 
edge, and  happiness,  but  they  seem  to  understand  well  the  Machia- 
vellian maxim  of  politics  —  divide  and  govern. 

"  May  the  United  States  avoid  the  errors  and  crimes  of  other 
governments  and  possess  the  wisdom  to  embrace  the  present 
invaluable  opportunity  of  establishing  such  institutions  as  shall 
invigorate,  exalt,  and  perpetuate  th^  great  principles  of  freedom  ; 
an  opportunity  pregnant  with  the  fate  of  millions,  but  rapidly 
borne  on  the  wings  of  time,  and  which  may  never  again  return. 

"  The  public  mind,  unbiased  by  superstition  or  prejudice, 
seems  happily  prepared  to  receive  the  impressions  of  wisdom.  The 
latent  springs  of  human  action,  ascertained  by  the  standard  of 
experience,  may  be  regulated  and  made  subservient  to  the  noble 
purpose  of  forming  a  dignified  national  character. 

"  The  causes  by  which  nations  have  ascended  and  declined 
through  the  various  ages  of  the  world  may  be  calmly  and  accu- 
rately determined,  and  the  United  States  may  be  placed  in  the 
singularly  fortunate  condition  of  commencing  their  career  of  em- 
pire with  the  accumulated  2cnowledge  of  all  the  known  societies 
and  governments  of  the  globe. 

"The  strength  of  the  Government,  like  the  strength  of  any 
other  vast  and  complicated  machine,  will  depend  on  a  due  adjust- 
ment of  its  several  parts.  Its  agriculture,  its  commerce,  its  laws,  its 
finance,  its  system  of  defense,  and  its  manners  and  habits,  all  require 
consideration  and  the  highest  exercise  of  political  wisdom. 

"  It  is  the  intention  of  the  present  attempt  to  suggest  the  most 


130  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

efficient  system  of  defense  which  may  be  compatible  with  the  inter- 
ests of  a  free  people  —  a  system  which  shall  not  only  produce  the 
expected  effect,  but  which  in  its  operations  shall  also  produce  those 
habits  and  manners  which  will  impart  strength  and  durability  to 
the  whole  Government. 

"The  modern  practice  of  Europe  with  respect  to  the  employ- 
ment of  standing  armies  has  created  such  a  mass  of  opinion  in 
their  favor  that  even  philosophers  and  the  advocates  for  liberty 
have  frequently  confessed  their  use  and  necessity  in  certain  cases. 

"But  whoever  seriously  and  candidly  estimates  the  power  of 
discipline  and  the  tendency  of  military  habits  will  be  constrained 
to  confess  that,  whatever  may  be  the  efficacy  of  a  standing  army  in 
war,  it  cannot  in  peace  be  considered  as  friendly  to  the  rights  of 
human  nature.  The  recent  instance  in  France  cannot  with  pro- 
priety be  brought  to  overturn  the  general  principle,  built  upon  the 
uniform  experience  of  mankind.  It  may  be  found,  on  examining 
the  causes  that  appear  to  have  influenced  the  military  of  France, 
that,  while  the  springs  of  power  were  wound  up  in  the  nation  to 
the  highest  pitch,  the  discipline  of  the  army  was  proportionately 
relaxed.  But  any  argument  on  this  head  may  be  considered  as 
unnecessary  to  the  enlightened  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

"A  small  corps  of  well-disciplined  and  well-informed  artillerists 
and  engineers  and  a  legion  for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers  and 
the  magazines  and  arsenals  are  all  the  military  establishment 
which  may  be  required  for  the  present  use  of  the  United  States. 
The  privates  of  the  corps  to  be  enlisted  for  a  certain  period,  and 
after  the  expiration  of  which  to  return  to  the  mass  of  the  citizens. 

"An  energetic  national  militia  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  capital 
security  of  a  free  republic,  and  not  a  standing  army  forming  a  dis- 
tinct class  in  the  community. 

"  It  is  the  introduction  and  diffusion  of  vice  and  corruption  of 
manners  into  the  mass  of  the  people  that  renders  a  standing  army 
necessary.  It  is  when  public  spirit  is  despised,  and  avarice,  indo- 
lence, and  effeminacy  of  manners  predominate  and  prevent  the 
establishment  of  institutions  which  would  elevate  the  minds  of 
the  youth  in  the  paths  of  virtue  and  honor,  that  a  standing  army  is 
formed  and  riveted  forever. 

"While  the  human  character  remains  unchanged,  and  societies 
and  governments  of  considerable  extent  are  formed,  a  principle 


PRINCIPLE  OF  THE  MILITIA.  I  3  I 

ever  ready  to  execute  the  laws  and  defend  the  state  must  con- 
stantly exist.  Without  this  vital  principle  the  government  would 
be  invaded  or  overtured  and  trampled  upon  by  the  bold  and  ambi- 
tious. No  community  can  long  be  held  together  unless  its  ar- 
rangements are  adequate  to  its  probable  exigencies. 

"  If  it  should  be  decided  to  reject  a  standing  army  for  the  mili- 
tary branch  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  as  possessing 
too  fierce  an  aspect  and  being  hostile  to  the  principles  of  liberty,  it 
will  follow  that  a  well-constituted  militia  ought  to  be  established. 

"A  consideration  of  the  subject  will  show  the  impracticability 
of  disciplining  at  once  the  masses  of  the  people.  All  discussions 
on  the  subject  of  a  powerful  militia  will  result  in  one  or  other  of 
the  following  principles: 

"  First,  either  efficient  institutions  must  be  established  for  the 
military  education  of  the  youth,  and  that  the  knowledge  acquired 
therein  shall  be  diffused  throughout  the  community  by  the  means 
of  rotation;   or, 

"Secondly,  that  the  militia  must  be  formed  of  substitutes, 
after  the  manner  of  the  militia  of  Great  Britain. 

"If  the  United  States  possess  the  vigor  of  mind  to  establish 
the  first  institution,  it  may  reasonably  be  expected  to  produce  the 
most  unequivocal  advantages.  A  glorious  national  spirit  will  be 
introduced,  v/ith  its  extensive  train  of  political  consequences.  The 
youth  will  imbibe  a  love  of  their  country;  reverence  and  obedience 
to  its  laws;  courage  and  elevation  of  mind;  openness  and  liberality 
of  character,  accompanied  by  a  just  spirit  of  honor;  in  addition  to 
which  their  bodies  will  acquire  a  robustness  greatly  conducive  to 
their  personal  happiness  as  well  as  the  defense  of  their  country, 
while  habit  with  its  silent  but  efficacious  operations  will  durably 
cement  the  system, 

"  Habit,  that  powerful  and  universal  law,  incessantly  acting  on 
the  human  race,  well  deserves  the  attention  of  legislators,  formed 
at  first  in  individuals  by  separate  and  almost  imperceptible  im- 
pulses, until  at  length  it  acquires  a  force  which  controls  with 
irresistible  sway.  The  effects  of  salutary  or  pernicious  habits, 
operating  on  a  whole  nation,  are  immense,  and  decide  its  rank  and 
character  in  the  world. 

"  Hence,  the  science  of  legislation  teaches  to  scrutinize  every 
national  institution,  as  it  may  introduce  proper  or  improper  habits. 


132  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

to  adopt  with  religious  zeal  the  former  and  reject  with  horror  the 
latter. 

"A  republic  constructed  on  the  principles  herein  stated  would 
be  uninjured  by  events  sufficient  to  overturn  a  government  sup- 
ported solely  by  the  uncertain  power  of  a  standing  army. 

"  The  well-informed  members  of  the  community,  actuated  by 
the  highest  motives  of  self-love,  would  form  the  real  defense  of  the 
country.  Rebellion  would  be  prevented  or  suppressed  with  ease; 
invasions  of  such  a  government  would  be  undertaken  only  by  mad- 
men, and  the  virtues  and  knowledge  of  the  people  would  effectu- 
ally oppose  the  introduction  of  tyranny. 

"But  the  second  principle  —  a  militia  of  substitutes  —  is  preg- 
nant, in  a  degree,  with  the  mischiefs  of  a  standing  army,  as  it  is 
highly  probable  the  substitutes  from  time  to  time  will  be  nearly 
the  same  men,  and  the  most  idle  and  worthless  part  of  the  com- 
munity. Wealthy  families,  proud  of  distinction  which  riches  may 
confer,  will  prevent  their  sons  from  serving  in  the  militia  of  substi- 
tutes; the  plan  will  degenerate  into  habitual  contempt;  a  standing 
army  will  be  introduced,  and  the  liberties  of  the  people  subjected 
to  all  the  contingencies  of  events. 

"The  expense  attending  an  energetic  establishment  of  militia 
may  be  strongly  urged  as  an  objection  to  the  institution.  But  it  is 
to  be  remembered  that  this  objection  is  leveled  at  both  systems, 
whether  by  rotation  or  by  substitution,  for,  if  the  numbers  are 
equal,  the  expense  will  also  be  equal.  The  estimate  of  the  expenses 
will  show  its  unimportance  when  compared  with  the  magnitude 
and  beneficial  effects  of  the  institution. 

"  But  the  people  of  the  United  States  will  cheerfully  consent  to 
the  expenses  of  a  measure  calculated  to  serve  as  a  perpetual  bari-ier 
to  their  liberties,  especially  as  they  well  know  that  the  disburse- 
ments will  be  made  among  the  members  of  the  same  community, 
and,  therefore,  cannot  be  injurious. 

"  Every  intelligent  mind  would  rejoice  in  the  establishment  of 
an  institution  under  whose  auspices  the  youth  and  vigor  of  the 
Constitution  would  be  renewed  with  each  successive  generation, 
and  which  would  appear  to  secure  the  great  principles  of  freedom 
and  happiness  against  the  injuries  of  time  and  events. 

"The  following  plan  is  formed  on  these  general  principles: 

"First,  that  it   is   the   indispensable   duty  of  every  nation   to 


IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  MILITIA. 


JJ 


establish  all  necessary  institutions  for  its  own  perfection  and 
defense. 

"Secondly,  that  it  is  a  capital  security  to  a  free  state  for  the 
great  body  of  the  people  to  possess  a  competent  knowledge  of  the 
military  art. 

"  Thirdly,  that  this  knowledge  cannot  be  attained,  in  the  pres- 
ent state  of  society,  but  by  establishing  adequate  institutions  for 
the  military  education  of  youth,  and  that  the  knowledge  acquired 
therein  should  be  diffused  throughout  the  community  by  the  prin- 
ciples of  rotation. 

"  Fourthly,  that  every  man  of  the  proper  age  and  ability  of 
body  is  firmly  bound  by  the  social  compact  to  perform,  personally, 
his  proportion  of  military  duty  for  the  defense  of  the  state. 

"  Fifthly,  that  all  men  of  the  legal  military  age  should  be 
armed,  enrolled,  and  held  responsible  for  different  degrees  of  mili- 
tary service. 

''And  sixthly,  that,  agreeably  to  the  Constitution,  the  United 
States  are  to  provide  for  organizing,  arming,  and  disciplining  the 
militia,  and  for  governing  such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States;  reserving  to  the  States,  respect- 
ively, the  appointment  of  the  officers  and  the  authority  of  training 
the  militia  according  to  the  discipline  prescribed  by  Congress," 


CHAPTER   III. 

CONCLUSION      OF      GENERAL      KNOx's      PAPER LEGISLATIVE 

PROCEEDINGS  FOUNDED  UPON  THE  SAME DISAPPOINT- 
MENT    OF     GENERAL     KNOX     IN     THE      BILL     PASSED     BY 

CONGRESS THE     PROBLEM,     HOW    TO    MAKE    A    TRAINED 

SOLDIER     WITHOUT     ATTACHING     HIM     TO    A    PERMANENT 

MILITARY      ESTABLISHMENT INTERESTING      DOCUMENTS 

BEARING  UPON  THE  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  A  MILITARY 
SCHOOL  AS  THE  BEST  MILITARY  HOPE  OF  THE  REPUB- 
LIC  THE     INITIAL     ERROR     OF     THE     FOREFATHERS     IN 

FAILING  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  A  GENERAL  MILITARY  EDU- 
CATION   OF    THE    MASSES. 

THE  interesting  introduction  to  the  paper  of  Secre- 
tary Knox,  quoted  in  the  last  chapter,  is  followed 
by  his  plan  of  organizing  the  citizen-soldiery.  Even  at 
this  later  day  of  our  history  there  is  much  in  the  second 
portion  of  the  paper  valuable  in  its  suggestive  character. 
The  author  commends  it  to  the  careful  perusal  of  his 
readers,  because  containing  germs  of  thought  capable  of 
useful  development  under  favoring  circumstances. 
The  remainder  of  the  paper  is  as  follows : 

The  Plan. 

"The  period  of  life  in  which  military  service  shall  be  required 
of  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  to  commence  at  eighteen  and 
terminate  at  the  age  of  sixty  years. 

134 


ORGANIZATION  OF  CITIZEN-SOLDIERY.  1 35 

"  The  men  comprehended  by  this  description,  exclusive  of  such 
exceptions  as  the  legislatures  of  the  several  States  may  think 
proper  to  make,  and  all  actual  ?nariners,  shall  be  enrolled  for  differ- 
ent degrees  of  military  duty  and  divided  into  three  distinct 
classes. 

"The  first  class  shall  comprehend  the  youth  of  eighteen,  nine- 
teen, and  twenty  years  of  age,  to  be  denominated  the  Advanced  Corps. 

''The  second  class  shall  comprehend  the  men  from  twenty-one 
to  forty-six  years  of  age,  to  be  denominated  the  Main  Corps. 

"The  third  class  shall  comprehend,  inclusively,  the  men  from 
forty-six  to  sixty  years  of  age,  to  be  denominated  the  Reserved 
Corps. 

"All  the  militia  of  the  United  States  shall  assume  the  form  of 
the  legion,  which  shall  be  the  permanent  establishment  thereof. 

"A  legion  shall  consist  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  commis- 
sioned officers,  and  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates,  formed  in  the  following 
manner : 

I.     The  Legionary  Staff. 

"One  Legionary  or  Major-General. 

"Two  Aides-de-Camp  of  the  rank  of  Major,  one  of  whom  to 
be  Legionary  Quartermaster. 

"  One  Inspector  and  Deputy- Adjutant-General  of  the  rank  of 
Lieutenant-Colonel. 

"  One  Chaplain. 

2.     The  Brigade  Staff. 

"  One  Brigadier-General. 

"  One  Brigadier  Inspector,  to  serve  as  an  Aide-de-Camp. 

3.     The  Regimental  Staff. 

"  One  Lieutenant-Colonel  Commandant. 

"Two  Majors. 

"One  Adjutant. 

"  One  Paymaster  or  Agent. 

"  One  Quartermaster. 

4.     Two  Brigades  of  Infantry. 

"  Each  brigade  of  two  regiments ;  each  regiment  of  eight  com- 
panies,  forming    two    battalions ;    each    company   of    a   captain, 


136  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

lieutenant,  ensign,  six  sergeants,  one  drum,  one  fife,  and  sixty-four 
rank  and  file. 

5.      Two  Companies  of  Riflemeji. 

*'  Each  company  to  have  a  captain,  lieutenant,  ensign,  six 
sergeants,  a  bugle-horn,  one  drum,  and  sixty-four  rank  and  file. 

6.     A  Battalion  of  Artillery, 

Consisting  of  four  companies,  each  to  have  a  captain,  captain- 
lieutenant,  one  lieutenant,  six  sergeants,  twelve  artificers,  and  fifty- 
two  rank  and  file. 

7.     A  Squadron  of  Cavalry, 

Consisting  of  two  troops ;  each  troop  to  have  a  captain,  two 
lieutenants,  a  cornet,  six  sergeants,  one  farrier,  one  saddler,  one 
trumpeter,  and  sixty-four  dragoons. 

''In  case  the  whole  number  of  the  advanced  corps  of  any  State 
should  be  insufficient  to  form  a  legion  of  this  extent,  yet  the  com- 
ponent parts  must  be  preserved  and  the  reduction  proportioned,  as 
nearly  as  may  be,  to  each  part. 

"  The  companies  of  all  corps  shall  be  divided  into  sections  of 
twelve  each.  It  is  proposed  by  this  division  to  es'tablish  one  uni- 
form vital  principle,  which  in  peace  and  war  shall  pervade  the 
militia  of  the  United  States. 

"All  requisitions  of  men  to  form  an  army,  either  for  State  or 
Federal  purposes,  shall  be  furnished  by  the  advanced  and  main 
corps,  by  means  of  the  sections. 

"The  executive  government,  or  commander-in-chief  of  the 
militia  of  each  State,  will  assess  the  numbers  required  on  the 
respective  legions  of  these  corps. 

"The  legionary  general  will  direct  the  proportions  to  be  fur- 
nished by  each  part  of  his  command.  Should  the  demand  be  so 
great  as  to  require  one  man  from  each  section,  then  the  operation 
hereby  directed  shall  be  performed  by  single  sections.  But  if  a 
less  number  should  be  required,  they  will  be  furnished  by  an  asso- 
ciation of  sections,  or  companies,  according  to  the  demand.  In 
any  case  it  is  probable  that  mutual  convenience  may  dictate  an 
agreement  with  an  individual  to  perform  the  service  required.  If, 
however,  no  agreement  can  be  made,  one  must  be  detached  by  an 
indiscriminate  draft,  and  the  others  shall  pay  him  a  sum  of  money 


BASED    UPON   THE  LEGION.  1 37 

equal  to  the  averaged  sum  which  shall  be  paid  in  the  same  legion 
for  the  voluntary  performance  of  the  service  required. 

"  In  case  any  sections  or  companies  of  a  legion,  after  having 
furnished  its  own  quota,  should  have  more  men  willing  to  engage 
for  the  service  required,  other  companies  of  the  same  legion  shall 
have  permission  to  engage  them.  The  same  rule  to  extend  to  the 
different  legions  in  the  State. 

"The  legionary  general  must  be  responsible  to  the  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  militia  of  the  State  that  the  men  furnished  are  ac- 
cording to  the  description,  and  that  they  are  equipped  in  the 
manner  and  marched  to  the  rendezvous  conformably  to  the  orders 
for  that  purpose. 

"The  men  who  may  be  drafted  shall  not  serve  more  than 
three  years  at  one  time. 

"  Reserved  corps,  being  destined  for  the  domestic  defense 
of  the  State,  shall  not  be  obliged  to  furnish  men,  excepting  in  cases 
of  actual  invasion  or  rebellion;  and  then  the  men  required  shall  be 
furnished  by  means  of  the  sections. 

"  The  actual  commissioned  officers  of  the  respective  corps  shall 
not  be  included  in  the  sections,  nor  in  any  of  the  operations 
thereof. 

*'  The  respective  States  shall  be  divided  into  portions  or  dis- 
tricts, each  of  which  to  contain,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  some  complete 
part  of  a  legion. 

"  Every  citizen  of  the  United  States  who  shall  serve  his  coun- 
try in  the  field  for  the  space  of  one  year,  either  as  an  officer  or 
soldier,  shall,  if  under  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  be  exempted 
from  the  service  required  in  the  advanced  corps.  If  he  shall  be 
above  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  then  every  year  he  shall  so  serve 
in  the  field  shall  be  estimated  as  equal  to  six  years'  service  in  the 
main  or  reserved  corps,  and  shall  accordingly  exempt  him  from 
every  service  therein  for  the  said  term  of  six  years,  except  in  cases 
of  actual  invasion  of,  or  rebellion  within,  the  State  in  which  he 
resides.  And  it  shall  also  be  a  permanent  establishment  that  six 
years'  actual  service  in  the  field  shall  entirely  free  every  citizen 
from  any  further  demands  of  service,  either  in  militia  or  in  the 
field,  unless  in  cases  of  invasion  or  rebellion. 

"  All  actual  mariners,  or  seamen,  in  the  respective  States,  shall 
be  registered  in  districts  and  divided  into  two  classes.     The  first 


138  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

class  to  consist  of  all  the  seamen  from  the  age  of  sixteen  to  thirty 
years,  inclusively.  The  second  class  to  consist  of  all  those  of  the 
age  of  thirty-one  to  forty-five,  inclusively. 

"  The  first  class  shall  be  responsible  to  serve  three  years  on 
board  of  some  public  armed  vessel  or  ship-of-war,  as  a  commis- 
sioned oflEicer,  warrant  officer,  or  private  mariner,  for  which  service 
they  shall  receive  the  customary  wages  and  emoluments, 

"  But  should  the  State  not  demand  the  said  three  years'  service 
during  the  above  period,  from  the  age  of  sixteen  to  thirty  years, 
then  the  party  to  be  exempted  entirely  therefrom. 

"  The  person  so  serving  shall  receive  a  certificate  of  his  service 
on  parchment,  according  to  the  form  which  shall  be  directed,  which 
shall  exempt  him  from  any  other  than  voluntary  service,  unless  in 
such  exigencies  as  may  require  the  services  of  all  the  members  of 
the  community. 

"The  second  class  shall  be  responsible  for  a  proportion  of 
service  in  those  cases  to  which  the  first  class  shall  be  unequal. 
The  numbers  required  shall  be  furnished  by  sections,  in  the  same 
manner  as  is  prescribed  for  the  sections  of  the  militia. 

"Of  the  Advanced  Corps, 

"The  advanced  corps  are  designed  not  only  as  a  school  in 
which  the  youth  of  the  United  States  are  to  be  instructed  in  the 
art  of  war,  but  they  are,  in  all  cases  of  exigence,  to  serve  as  an 
actual  defense  to  the  community, 

"The  whole  of  the  armed  corps  shall  be  clothed  according  to 
the  manner  hereafter  directed,  armed  and  subsisted  at  the  expense 
of  the  United  States;  and  all  the  youth  of  the  said  corps,  in  each 
State,  shall  be  encamped  together,  if  practicable,  or  by  legions, 
which  encampments  shall  be  denominated  the  annual  camps  of  dis- 
cipline. 

"The  youth  of  eighteen  Sind  nineteen  years  shall  be  disciplined 
for  thirty  days  successively  in  each  year;  and  those  of  twenty  years 
shall  be  disciplined  only  for  ten  days  in  each  year,  which  shall  be 
the  last  ten  days  of  the  annual  encampments. 

"The  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  are  not  to  receive 
any  pay  during  the  said  time;  but  the  commissioned  officers  will 
receive  the  pay  of  their  relative  ranks,  agreeably  to  the  Federal 
establishment  for  the  time  being. 


OF   THE  ADVANCED    CORPS.  1 39 

"In  order  that  the  plan  shall  effectually  answer  the  end  pro- 
posed, the  first  day  of  January  shall  be  the  fixed  period  for  all  who 
attain  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  in  any  part,  or  during  the  course 
of  each  year,  to  be  enrolled  in  the  advanced  corps,  and  to  take  the 
necessary  oaths  to  perform,  personally,  such  legal  military  service 
as  may  be  directed,  for  the  full  and  complete  term  of  three  years,  to 
be  estimated  from  the  time  of  entrance  into  the  said  corps,  and  also 
to  take  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  State  and  to  the  United  States. 

"The  commanding  officer  or  general  of  the  advanced  legions 
of  the  district  shall  regulate  the  manner  of  the  service  of  the 
youth,  respectively,  whether  it  shall  be  in  the  infantry,  artillery,  or 
cavalry;  but,  after  having  entered  into  either  of  them,  no  change 
should  be  allowed. 

"Each  individual,  at  his  first  joining  the  annual  camps  of  dis- 
cipline, will  receive  complete  arms  and  accoutrements,  all  of  which, 
previously  to  his  being  discharged  from  the  said  camps,  he  must 
return  to  the  regimental  quartermaster,  on  the  penalty  of dol- 
lars, or months'  imprisonment. 

"The  said  arms  and  accoutrements  shall  be  marked,  in  some 
conspicuous  place,  with  the  letters  M.  U.  S.  And  all  sales  or  pur- 
chases of  any  of  the  said  arms  or  accoutrements  shall  be  severely 
punished,  according  to  law. 

"And  each  individual  will  also,  on  his  first  entrance  into  the 
advanced  corps,  receive  the  following  articles  of  uniform  clothing: 
One  hat,  one  uniform  short  coat,  one  waistcoat,  and  one  pair  of 
overalls,  which  he  shall  retain  in  his  own  possession,  and  for  which 
he  shall  be  held  accountable,  and  be  compelled  to  replace  all  defi- 
ciencies during  his  service  in  the  annual  camps  of  discipline. 

"  Those  who  shall  serve  in  the  cavalry  shall  be  at  the  expense 
of  their  own  horses  and  uniform  helmets  and  horse  furniture;  but 
they  shall  receive  forage  for  their  horses,  swords,  pistols,  and  cloth- 
ing, equal  in  value  to  the  infantry. 

"At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  every  individual  having 
served  in  the  manner  and  for  the  time  prescribed  shall  receive  an 
honorary  certificate  thereof,  on  parchment,  and  signed  by  the 
legionary  general  and  inspector. 

"  The  names  of  all  persons  to  whom  such  certificates  shall  be 
given  shall  be  fairly  registered  in  books  to  be  provided  for  that 
purpose. 


140  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"And  the  said  certificate,  or  an  attested  copy  of  the  register 
aforesaid,  shall  be  required  as  an  indispensable  qualification  for 
exercising  any  of  the  rights  of  a  free  citizen  until  after  the  age  of 
'  years. 

"  The  advanced  legions,  in  all  cases  of  invasion  or  rebellion^ 
shall,  on  requisition  of  lawful  authority,  be  obliged  to  march  to 
any  place  within  the  United  States;  to  remain  embodied  for  such 
time  as  shall  be  directed,  not  to  exceed  one  year,  to  be  computed 
from  the  time  of  marching  from  the  regimental  parade;  during  the 
period  of  their  being  on  such  service,  to  be  placed  on  the  con- 
tinental establishment  of  pay,  subsistence,  clothing,  forage,  tents, 
camp  equipage,  and  all  such  other  allowances  as  are  made  to  the 
Federal  troops  at  the  same  time  and  under  the  same  circum- 
stances. 

"  If  the  military  service  so  required  should  be  for  such  a  short 
period  as  to  render  an  actual  issue  of  clothing  unnecessary,  then  an 
allowance  should  be  made  in  proportion  to  the  annual  cost  of 
clothing  for  the  Federal  soldier,  according  to  estimates  to  be  fur- 
nished for  that  purpose  from  the  War  Office  of  the  United  States. 

"  In  case  the  legions  of  the  advanced  corps  should  march  to 
any  place  in  consequence  of  a  requisition  of  the  General  Govern- 
ment, all  legal  and  proper  expenses  of  such  march  shall  be  paid  by 
the  United  States.  But,  should  they  be  embodied  and  marched  in 
consequence  of  an  order  derived  from  the  authority  of  the  State  to 
which  they  belong,  and  for  State  purposes,  then  the  expenses  will 
be  borne  by  the  State. 

"  The  advanced  corps  shall  be  constituted  on  such  principles 
that,  when  completed,  it  will  receive  one-third  part  and  discharge 
one-third  part  of  its  members  annually.  By  this  arrangement  two- 
thirds  of  the  corps  will  at  all  times  be  considerably  disciplined; 
but,  as  it  will  only  receive  those  of  eighteen  years  of  age,  it  will  not 
be  completed  until  the  third  year  after  its  institution.  Those  who 
have  already  attained  the  ages  of  nineteen  and  twenty  years  will, 
in  the  first  instance,  be  enrolled  in  the  main  corps. 

"  But  one-half  the  legionary  officers  to  be  appointed  the  first 
and  the  other  the  second  year  of  the  establishment. 

"  The  officers  of  each  grade  in  the  States,  respectively,  shall  be 
divided  into  three  classes,  which  shall  by  lot  be  numbered  one,  two, 
and  three,  and  one  of  the  said  classes,  according  to  their  numbers,, 


FERIOD  OF  MILITIA   SERVICE.  I4I 

shall  be  deranged  every  third  year.  In  the  first  period  of  nine 
years,  one-third  part  will  have  to  serve  three,  one-third  part  six, 
and  one-third  part  nine  years.  But,  after  the  said  first  period,  the 
several  classes  will  serve  nine  years,  which  shall  be  the  limitation 
of  service  by  virtue  of  the  same  appointment;  and  in  such  cases, 
where  there  may  not  be  three  officers  of  the  same  grade,  the  limita- 
tion of  nine  years'  service  shall  be  observed.  All  vacancies  occa- 
sioned by  the  aforesaid  derangements  or  any  casualties  shall  be 
immediately  filled  by  new  appointments. 

"  The  captains  and  subalterns  of  the  advanced  corps  shall  not 
be  less  than  twenty-one  nor  more  than  thirty-five,  and  the  field 
officers  shall  not  exceed  forty-five  years  of  age. 

"  Each  company,  battalion,  and  regiment  shall  have  a  fixed 
parade  or  place  at  which  to  assemble.  The  companies  shall  assem- 
ble at  their  own  parade  and  march  to  the  parade  of  the  battalion, 
and  the  battalions  to  the  regimental  parade,  and  when  thus  em- 
bodied the  regiment  will  march  to  the  rendezvous  of  the  legion. 
Every  commanding  officer  of  a  company,  battalion,  and  regiment 
will  be  accountable  to  his  superior  officer  that  his  command  is  in 
the  most  perfect  order. 

"The  officers  to  receive  subsistence  money  in  lieu  of  provisions, 
in  proportion  to  their  respective  grades,  and  those  whose  duties 
require  them  to  be  on  horseback  will  receive  forage  in  the  same 
proportion. 

"  Every  legion  must  have  a  chaplain  of  respectable  talents  and 
character,  who,  besides  his  religious  functions,  should  impress  on 
the  minds  of  the  youth  at  stated  periods,  in  concise  discourses,  the 
eminent  advantages  of  free  governments  to  the  happiness  of 
society,  and  that  such  governments  can  only  be  supported  by  the 
knowledge,  spirit,  and  virtuous  conduct  of  the  youth,  to  be  illus- 
trated by  the  most  conspicuous  examples  of  history. 

"  No  amusements  should  be  admitted  in  camp  but  those  which 
correspond  with  war  —  the  swimming  of  men  and  horses,  running, 
wrestling,  and  such  other  exercises  as  should  render  the  body  flex- 
ible and  vigorous. 

"The  camps  should,  if  possible,  be  formed  near  a  river,  and 
remote  from  large  cities.  The  first  is  necessary  for  the  practice  of 
the  maneuvers,  the  second  to  avoid  the  vices  of  populous  places. 

"  The  time  of  the  annual  encampments  shall  be  divided  into  six 


142  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

parts  or  periods,  of  five  days  each;  the  first  of  which  shall  be  occu- 
pied in  acquiring  the  air,  attitudes,  and  first  principles  of  a  soldier; 
the  second  in  learning  the  manual  exercises,  and  to  march  individ- 
ually and  in  small  squads;  the  third  and  fourth  in  exercising  and 
maneuvering  in  detail,  and  by  battalions  and  regiments;  in  the 
fifth,  the  youth  of  twenty,  having  been  disciplined  during  the  two 
preceding  annual  encampments,  are  to  be  included.  This  period  is 
to  be  employed  in  the  exercise  and  tactic  of  the  legion,  or,  if  more 
than  one,  in  executing  the  grand  maneuvers  of  the  whole  body  — 
marching,  attacking,  and  defending,  in  various  forms,  different 
grounds  and  positions;  in  fine,  in  representing  all  the  real  images 
of  war,  excepting  the  effusion  of  blood. 

"  The  guards,  and  every  other  circumstance  of  the  camp,  to  be 
perfectly  regulated. 

"  Each  State  will  determine  on  the  season  in  which  its  respective 
annual  encampments  shall  be  formed,  so  as  to  best  suit  the  health 
of  the  men  and  the  general  interests  of  the  society. 

"  The  United  States  to  make  an  adequate  provision  to  supply 
the  arms,  clothing,  rations,  artillery,  ammunition,  forage,  straw, 
tents,  camp  equipage,  including  every  requisite  for  the  annual 
camps  of  discipline  ;  and  also  for  the  pay  and  subsistence  of  the 
legionary  officers,  and  for  the  following  general  5taff  :  One  inspec- 
tor-general, one  adjutant-general,  one  quartermaster-general,  with 
a  deputy  for  each  State. 

'*  These  officers  will  be  essential  to  the  uniformity,  economy, 
and  efficacy  of  the  system,  to  be  appointed  in  the  manner  pre- 
scribed by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 

"The  quartermaster-general  shall  be  responsible  to  the  United 
States  for  the  public  property  of  every  species  delivered  to  him  for 
the  annual  camps  of  discipline,  and  his  deputy  in  each  State  shall 
be  responsible  to  him. 

"At  the  commencement  of  the  annual  camps  of  discipline  the 
deputy  quartermaster  will  make  regular  issues  to  the  legionary  or 
regimental  quartermasters,  as  the  case  may  be,  of  all  the  articles, 
of  every  species,  provided  by  the  United  States. 

"The  returns  for  the  said  articles  to  be  examined  and  certified 
by  the  highest  legionary  or  regimental  officer,  as  the  case  may  be, 
who  shall  be  responsible  for  the  accuracy  thereof. 

"At  the  expiration  of  the  annual  camps  of  discipline,  all  public 


IMPORTANCE   OF    THE  MAIN  CORPS.  1 43 

property  (clothing  excepted)  shall  be  returned  to  the  deputy  quar- 
termaster of  the  State,  who  shall  hold  the  legionary  quartermaster 
accountable  for  all  deficiencies.  All  the  apparatus  and  property  sa 
returned  shall  be  carefully  examined,  repaired,  and  deposited  in  a 
magazine,  to  be  provided  in  each  State  for  that  purpose,  under  the 
charge  of  the  said  deputy  quartermaster,  until  the  ensuing  annual 
encampment,  or  any  occasion  which  may  render  a  new  issue 
necessary. 

"  Corporal  punishments  shall  never  be  inflicted  in  the  annual 
camps  of  discipline;  but  a  system  of  fines  and  imprisonment  shall 
be  formed  for  the  regular  government  of  such  camps. 

Of  the  Main  Corps. 

"  As  the  main  and  reserved  corps  are  to  be  replenished  by  the 
principle  of  rotation  from  the  advanced  corps,  and  ultimately  to 
consist  of  men  who  have  received  their  military  education  therein, 
it  is  proper  that  one  uniform  arrangement  should  pervade  the 
several  classes. 

"  It  is  for  this  reason  the  legion  is  established  as  the  common 
form  of  all  the  corps  of  the  militia. 

"The  main  legions,  consisting  of  the  great  majority  of  the 
men  of  the  military  age,  will  form  the  principal  defense  of  the 
country, 

"  They  are  to  be  responsible  for  their  proportion  of  men,  to 
form  an  army  whenever  necessity  shall  dictate  the  measure;  and 
on  every  sudden  occasion  to  which  the  advanced  corps  shall  be  in- 
competent, an  adequate  number  of  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates  shall  be  added  thereto,  from  the  main  corps,  by  means  of 
the  sections. 

"  The  main  corps  will  be  perfectly  armed,  in  the  first  instance,, 
and  will  practice  the  exercises  and  maneuvers  four  days  in  each  year, 
and  will  assemble  in  their  respective  districts  by  companies,  battal- 
ions, regiments,  or  legions,  as  shall  be  directed  by  the  legionary 
general,  but  it  must  be  a  fixed  rule  that  in  the  populous  parts  of 
the  States  the  regiments  must  assemble  once  annually  and  the 
legions  once  in  three  years, 

"  Although  the  main  corps  cannot  acquire  a  great  degree  of 
military  knowledge  in  the  few  days  prescribed  for  the  annual  exer- 
cise, yet,  by  the  constant  accession  of  the  youth  from  the  advanced 


144  "^^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

corps,  it  will  soon  command  respect  for  its  military  discioline  as 
well  as  its  numbers. 

"  When  the  youth  are  transferred  from  the  advanced  corps  they 
shall  invariably  join  the  flank  companies,  the  cavalry  or  artillery  of 
the  main  corps,  according  to  the  nature  of  their  former  services. 

Of  the  Reserved  Corps. 

"  The  reserved  corps  will  assemble  only  twice  annually  for  the 
inspection  of  arms,  by  companies,  battalions,  or  regiments,  as  shall 
be  directed  by  each  State.  It  will  assemble  by  legions  whenever 
the  defense  of  the  State  may  render  the  measure  necessary. 

"Such  are  the  propositions  of  the  plan,  to  which  it  may  be 
necessary  to  add  some  explanations. 

"  Although  the  substantial  political  maxim  which  requires  per- 
sonal service  of  all  the  members  of  the  community  for  the  defense 
ot  the  State  is  obligatory  under  all  forms  of  society,  and  is  the  main 
pillar  of  a  free  government,  yet  the  degrees  thereof  may  vary  at 
the  different  periods  of  life,  consistently  with  the  general  welfare. 
The  public  convenience  may  also  dictate  a  relaxation  of  the  general 
obligation  as  it  respects  the  principal  magistrates,  and  of  the  min- 
isters of  justice  and  of  religion,  and  perhaps  some  religious  sects. 
But  it  ought  to  be  remembered  that  measures  of  national  import- 
ance never  should  be  frustrated  by  the  accommodation  of  indi- 
viduals. 

"  The  military  age  has  generally  commenced  at  sixteen  and 
terminated  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  but  the  youth  of  sixteen 
do  not  commonly  attain  such  a  degree  of  robust  strength  as  to 
enable  them  to  sustain  without  injury  the  hardships  incident  to 
the  field;  therefore  the  commencement  of  military  service  is  herein 
fixed  at  eighteen,  and  the  termination,  as  usual,  at  sixty  years  of 
age. 

"The  plan  proposes  that  the  militia  shall  be  divided  into  three 
capital  classes,  and  that  each  class  shall  be  formed  into  legions,  the 
reasons  for  which  shall  be  given  in  succession. 

"The  advanced  corps  and  annual  camps  of  discipline  are  insti- 
tuted in  order  to  introduce  an  operative  military  spirit  in  the  com- 
munity, to  establish  a  course  of  honorable  military  service  which 
will,  at  the  same  time,  mold  the  minds  of  the  young  men  to  a  due 
obedience  of  the  laws,  instruct  them  in  the  art  of  war,  and,  by  the 


ARGUMENTS  FOR  A    CITIZEN-SOLDIER.  1 45 

manly  exercises  of  the  field,  form  a  race  of  hardy  citizens,  equal  to 
the  dignified  task  of  defending  their  country. 

"An  examination  into  the  employments  and  obligations  of  the 
individuals  composing  the  society  will  evince  the  impossibility  of 
diffusing  an  adequate  knowledge  of  the  art  of  war  by  any  other 
means  than  a  course  of  discipline  during  the  period  of  nonage. 
The  time  necessary  to  acquire  this  important  knowledge  cannot  be 
afforded  at  any  other  period  of  life  with  so  little  injury  to  the  pub- 
lic or  private  interests. 

"Without  descending  to  minute  distinctions,  the  body  of  the 
people  of  the  United  States  may  be  divided  into  two  parts  —  the 
yeomanry  of  the  country,  and  the  men  of  various  employments, 
resident  in  towns  and  cities.  In  both  parts  it  is  usual  for  the  male 
children,  from  the  age  of  fourteen  to  twenty-one  years,  to  learn 
some  trade  or  employment,  under  the  direction  of  a  parent  or 
master.  In  general,  the  labor  or  service  of  the  youth,  during  this 
period,  besides  amply  repaying  the  trouble  of  tuition,  leaves  a 
large  profit  to  the  tutor.  This  circumstance  is  stated  to  show  that 
no  great  hardships  will  arise  in  the  first  operations  of  the  proposed 
plan.  A  little  practice  will  render  the  measure  perfectly  equal, 
and  remove  every  difficulty. 

"  Youth  is  the  time  for  the  State  to  avail  itself  of  those  services 
which  it  has  a  right  to  demand,  and  by  which  it  is  to  be  invig- 
orated and  preserved.  In  this  season  the  passions  and  affections 
are  strongly  influenced  by  the  splendor  of  military  parade.  The 
impressions  the  mind  receives  will  be  retained  through  life.  The 
young  man  will  repair  with  pride  and  pleasure  to  the  field  of  exer- 
cise, while  the  head  of  a  family,  anxious  for  its  general  welfare, 
and  perhaps  its  immediate  subsistence,  will  reluctantly  quit  his 
domestic  duties  for  any  length  of  time. 

"The  habits  of  industry  will  be  rather  strengthened  than 
relaxed  by  the  establishment  of  the  annual  camps  of  discipline,  as 
all  the  time  will  be  occupied  by  the  various  military  duties.  Idle- 
ness and  dissipation  will  be  regarded  as  disgraceful  and  punished 
accordingly.  As  soon  as  the  youth  attain  the  age  of  manhood,  a 
natural  solicitude  to  establish  themselves  in  the  society  will  occur 
in  its  full  force.  The  public  claims  for  military  service  will  be  too 
inconsiderable  to  injure  their  industry.  It  will  be  sufficiently 
stimulated  to  proper  exertions  .by  the  prospect  of  opulence  attend- 


146  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

ing  on  the  cultivation  of  a  fertile  soil,  or  the  pursuits  of  a  product- 
ive commerce. 

"It  is  presumed  that  thirty  days  annually  during  the  eight- 
eenth and  nineteenth,  and  ten  days  during  the  twentieth  year,  is 
the  least  time  that  ought  to  be  appropriated  by  the  youth  to  the 
acquisition  of  the  military  art.  The  same  number  of  days  might 
be  added  during  the  twentieth  as  during  the  two  preceding  years 
were  not  the  expense  an  objection. 

"  Every  means  will  be  provided  by  the  public  to  facilitate  the 
military  education  of  the  youth,  which  it  is  proposed  shall  be  an 
indispensable  qualification  of  a  free  citizen  ;  therefore,  they  will 
not  be  entitled  to  any  pay.  But  the  officers,  being  of  the  main 
corps,  are  in  a  different  predicament.  They  are  supposed  to  have 
passed  through  the  course  of  discipline  required  by  the  laws,  and 
to  be  competent  to  instruct  others  in  the  military  art.  As  the  pub- 
lic will  have  but  small  claims  for  personal  service  on  them,  and  as 
they  must  incur  considerable  expenses  to  prepare  themselves  to 
execute  properly  their  respective  offices,  they  ought  to  be  paid 
while  on  actual  duty. 

"As  soon  as  the  service  of  the  youth  expires  in  the  advanced 
corps  they  are  to  be  enrolled  in  the  main  corps.  On  this  occasion 
the  Republic  receives  disciplined  and  free  citziens,  who  understand 
their  public  rights,  and  are  prepared  to  defend  them. 

"The  main  corps  is  instituted  to  preserve  and  circulate 
throughout  the  community  the  military  discipline  acquired  in  the 
advanced  corps  ;  to  arm  the  people  and  fix  firmly,  by  practice  and 
habit,  those  forms  and  maxims  which  are  essential  to  the  life  and 
energy  of  a  free  government. 

"The  reserved  corps  is  instituted  to  prevent  men  being  sent  to 
the  field  whose  strength  is  unequal  to  sustain  the  severities  of  an 
active  campaign.  But  by  organizing  and  rendering  them  eligible 
for  domestic  service,  a  quarter  proportion  of  the  younger  and 
robust  part  of  the  community  may  be  enabled,  in  case  of  necessity, 
to  encounter  the  more  urgent  duties  of  war. 

"  It  would  be  difficult,  previously  to  the  actual  formation  of 
the  annual  camps  of  discipline,  to  ascertain  the  number  in  each 
State  of  which  it  would  be  composed.  The  frontier  counties  of 
several  States  are  thinly  inhabited,  and  require  all  their  internal 
force  for  their  immediate  defense.     There  are  other  infant  settle- 


MILITARY  STRENGTH  OF    THE  REPUBLIC.  I^y 

ments,  from  which  it  might  be  injurious  to  draw  away  their  youth 
annually  for  the  purpose  of  discipline. 

"No  evil  would  result  if  the  establishment  of  the  advanced 
corps  should  be  omitted  in  such  districts  for  a  few  years.  Besides, 
the  forbearance  in  this  respect  would  lessen  the  expense,  and  ren- 
der the  institution  more  compatible  with  the  public  finances. 

"  The  several  State  legislatures,  therefore,  as  best  understanding 
their  local  interests,  might  be  invested  with  a  discretionary  power 
to  omit  the  enrollments  for  the  advanced  corps  in  such  of  their 
frontier  and  thinly  inhabited  districts  as  they  may  judge  proper. 

**  If  the  number  of  three  millions  may  be  assumed  as  the  total 
number  of  the  inhabitants  within  the  United  States,  half  a  million 
may  be  deducted  therefrom  for  blacks,  and,  pursuant  to  the  fore- 
going ideas,  another  half  million  may  be  deducted  on  account  of 
the  thinly  settled  parts  of  the  country. 

"  The  proportion  of  men  of  the  military  age,  from  eighteen  to 
sixty  years  inclusively,  of  two  millions  of  people,  of  all  ages  and 
sexes,  may  be  estimated  at  four  hundred  thousand.  There  may  be 
deducted  from  this  number  as  actual  mariners  about  fifty  thou- 
sand, and  a  further  number  of  twenty-five  thousand  to  include 
exempts  of  religious  sects,  and  of  every  other  sort  which  the 
respective  States  may  think  proper  to  make. 

"  Three  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand,  therefore,  may  be 
assumed  as  the  number  of  operative,  fencible  men  to  compose  the 
militia,  the  proportion  of  the  several  classes  of  which  would  be 
nearly  as  follows: 

"  Firstly,  the  advanced  corps,  one-tenth,  composed  of  the  youth  of  the 

ages  of  eighteen,  nineteen,  and  twenty  years 32,500 

Secondly,  the  main  corps,  six-tenths  and  one-twentieth 211,250 

Thirdly,  the  reserved  corps,  two-tenths  and  one-twentieth 81,250 

325,000 
*  *  «  *  * 

[Note. — Here  follows  a  detailed  estimate  of  the  expense  of  the  annual  camps 
of  discipline  as  proposed  in  the  foregoing  plan,  which,  as  being  without  immediate 
interest  to  the  readers  of  this  volume,  is  omitted.] 

"  Thus,  for  a  sum  less  than  four  hundred  thousand  dollars 
annually,  which,  apportioned  on  three  millions  of  people,  would  be 
little  more  than  one-eighth  of  a  dollar  each,  an  energetic  repub- 
lican militia  may  be  durably  established,  the  invaluable  principles 


148  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

of  liberty  secured  and  perpetuated,  and  a  dignified  national  fabric 
erected  on  the  solid  foundation  of  public  virtue. 

"The  main  and  reserved  corps  must  be  perfectly  organized  in 
the  first  instance,  but  the  advanced  corps  will  not  be  completed 
until  the  third  year  of  its  institution. 

"  The  combination  of  troops  of  various  descriptions  into  one 
body,  so  as  to  invest  it  with  the  highest  and  greatest  number  of 
powers  in  every  possible  situation,  has  long  been  a  subject  of  dis- 
cussion and  difference  of  opinion.  But  no  other  form  appears  so 
well  to  have  sustained  the  criterion  of  time  and  severe  examination 
as  the  Roman  legion.  This  formidable  organization,  accommodated 
to  the  purposes  of  modern  war,  still  retains  its  original  energy  and 
superiority.  Of  the  ancients,  Polybius  and  Vegetius  have  described 
and  given  the  highest  encomiums  of  the  legion.  The  former,  par- 
ticularly, in  his  comparative  view  of  the  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages of  the  Macedonian  and  Roman  armies  and  their  respective 
orders  of  battle,  has  left  to  mankind  an  important  and  instructive 
legacy.  Of  the  moderns,  Mareschal  Saxe  has  modeled  the  legion 
for  the  use  of  firearms  and  strenuously  urges  its  adoption  in  prefer- 
ence to  any  other  form.  And  the  respectable  and  intelligent  vet- 
eran, late  inspector-general  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States,^ 
recommends  the  adoption  of  the  legion. 

"  'Upon  a  review,'  says  he,  'of  all  the  military  of  Europe,  there 
does  not  appear  to  be  a  single  form  which  could  be  safely  adopted 
by  the  United  States.  They  are  unexceptionally  different  from 
each  other;  and,  like  all  other  human  institutions,  seem  to  have 
started  as  much  out  of  accident  as  design.  The  local  situation  of 
the  country,  the  spirit  of  the  government,  the  character  of  the 
nation,  and,  in  many  instances,  the  character  of  the  prince,  have 
all  had  their  influence  in  settling  the  foundation  and  discipline  of 
their  respective  troops,  and  render  it  impossible  that  we  should 
take  either  as  a  model.' 

"  The  legion  alone  has  not  been  adopted  by  any,  and  yet  I  am 
confident  in  asserting  that,  whether  it  be  examined  as  applicable  to 
all  countries  or  as  it  may  immediately  apply  to  the  existing  or 
probable  necessity  of  this,  it  will  be  found  strikingly  superior  to 
any  other. 


^  Alexander  Hamilton. 


ADVANTAGES  OF    THE  ROMAN  LEGION.  149 

"  ist.  Being  a  complete  and  little  army  of  itself,  it  is  ready  to 
begin  its  operations  on  the  shortest  notice  or  slightest  alarm, 

**  2d.  Having  all  the  component  parts  of  the  largest  army  of 
any  possible  description,  it  is  prepared  to  meet  any  species  of  war 
that  may  present  itself;  and, 

''3d,  As,  in  every  case  of  detachment,  the  first  constitutional 
principle  will  be  preserved  and  the  embarrassments  of  drafting 
and  detail,  which  in  armies  differently  framed  too  often  distract 
the  commanding  officer,  will  be  avoided. 

"  It  may  easily  suggest  itself  from  this  sketch,  that,  in  forming 
a  legion,  the  most  difficult  task  is  to  determine  the  necessary  pro- 
portion of  each  species  of  soldiers  which  is  to  compose  it.  This 
must  obviously  depend  upon  what  will  be  the  theater  and  what  the 
style  of  the  war.  On  the  plains  of  Poland  whole  brigades  of 
cavalry  would  be  necessary  against  every  enemy,  but  in  the  forests 
and  among  the  hills  of  America  a  single  regiment  would  be  more 
than  sufficient  against  any.  And  as  there  are  but  two  kinds  of  war 
to  which  we  are  much  exposed,  viz.:  an  attack  from  the  sea-side 
by  an  European  power,  aided  by  our  sworn  enemies  settled  on  our 
extreme  left,  and  an  invasion  of  our  back  settlements  by  an  Indian 
enemy,  it  follows,  of  course,  that  musketeers  and  light  infantry 
should  make  the  greatest  part  of  our  army. 

"The  institution  of  this  section  is  intended  to  interest  the 
patriotism  and  pride  of  every  individual  in  the  militia  to  support 
the  legal  measures  of  a  free  government,  to  render  every  man 
active  in  the  public  cause  by  introducing  the  spirit  of  emulation 
and  a  degree  of  personal  responsibility. 

"The  common  mode  of  recruiting  is  attended  with  too  great 
destruction  of  morals  to  be  tolerated,  and  is  too  uncertain  to  be  the 
principal  resource  of  a  wise  nation  in  a  time  of  danger.  The  pub- 
lic faith  is  frequently  wounded  by  unworthy  individuals  who  hold 
out  delusive  promises  which  can  never  be  realized.  By  such  means 
an  unprincipled  banditti  are  often  collected  for  the  purpose  of  de- 
fending everything  that  should  be  dear  to  freemen.  The  conse- 
quences are  natural:  such  men  either  desert  in  time  of  danger  or 
are  ever  ready,  on  the  slightest  disgust,  to  turn  their  arms  against 
their  country. 

"  By  the  establishment  of  the  sections  an  ample  and  permanent 
source  is  opened  whence  the  state  in  every  exigence  may  be  sup- 


150  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

plied  with  men  whose  all  depends  upon  the  prosperity  of  their 
country. 

"  In  cases  of  necessity  an  army  may  be  formed  of  citizens 
whose  previous  knowledge  of  discipline  will  enable  it  to  proceed 
to  an  immediate  accomplishment  of  the  designs  of  the  state,  instead 
of  exhausting  the  public  resources  by  wasting  whole  years  in  pre- 
paring to  face  the  enemy 

"  The  previous  arrangements  necessary  to  form  and  maintain 
the  annual  encampments,  as  well  as  the  discipline  acquired  therein, 
will  be  an  excellent  preparation  for  war.  The  artillery  and  its 
numerous  appendages,  arms,  accoutrements  of  every  kind,  and  all 
species  of  ammunition,  ought  to  be  manufactured  within  the  United 
States.  It  is  of  high  importance  that  the  present  period  should  be 
embraced  to  establish  adequate  institutions  to  produce  the  neces- 
sary apparatus  of  war. 

"  It  is  unworthy  the  dignity  of  a  rising  and  free  empire  to 
depend  on  foreign  and  fortuitous  supplies  of  the  essential  means 
of  defense. 

"  The  clothing  of  the  troops  could  with  ease  be  manufactured 
within  the  United  States,  and  the  establishment  in  that  respect 
would  tend  to  the  encouragement  of  important  manufactories. 

"The  disbursements  made  in  each  State  for  the  rations,  forage, 
and  other  necessary  articles  for  the  annual  camps  of  discipline 
would  most  beneficially  circulate  the  money  arising  from  the  pub- 
lic revenue. 

"The  local  circumstances  of  the  United  States,  their  numerous 
sea-ports,  and  the  protection  of  their  commerce  require  a  naval 
arrangement.  Hence  the  necessity  of  the  proposed  plan,  embrac- 
ing the  idea  of  the  States  obtaining  men  on  republican  principles 
for  the  marine  as  well  as  the  land  service.  But  one  may  be  accom- 
plished with  much  greater  facility  than  the  other,  as  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  soldier  for  the  field  requires  a  degree  of  discipline  which 
cannot  be  learned  without  much  time  and  labor,  whereas  the  com- 
mon course  of  sea  service  on  board  of  merchant  vessels  differs  but 
little  from  the  service  required  on  board  of  armed  ships;  therefore, 
the  education  for  our  war  in  this  respect  will  be  obtained  without 
any  expense  to  the  State.  All  that  seems  to  be  requisite  on  the 
head  of  marine  service  is  that  an  efficient  regulation  should  be 
established  in  the  respective  States  to  register  all  actual  seamen, 


DUTIES,    OF  A   FREE  PEOPLE.  I5I 

and  to  render  those  of  a  certain  age  amenable  to  the  public  for 
personal  service  if  demanded  within  a  given  period 

"The  constitutions  of  the  respective  States,  and  of  the  United 
States,  having  directed  the  modes  in  which  the  officers  of  the  mili- 
tia shall  be  appointed,  no  alteration  can  be  made  therein.  Al- 
though it  may  be  supposed  that  some  modes  of  appointment  are 
better  calculated  than  others  to  inspire  the  highest  propriety  of 
conduct,  yet  there  are  none  so  defective  to  serve  as  a  sufficient 
reason  for  rejecting  an  efficient  system  for  the  militia.  It  is  cer- 
tain that  the  choice  of  officers  is  the  point  on  which  the  reputation 
and  importance  of  a  corps  must  depend;  therefore,  every  person 
who  may  be  concerned  in  the  appointment  should  consider  himself 
as  responsible  to  his  country  for  a  proper  choice. 

"The  wisdom  of  the  States  will  be  manifested  by  inducing 
those  citizens  of  whom  the  late  American  army  was  composed  to 
accept  of  appointments  in  the  militia.  The  high  degree  of  mili- 
tary knowledge  which  they  possess  was  acquired  at  too  great  a 
price  and  is  too  precious  to  be  buried  in  oblivion.  It  ought  to  be 
cherished  and  rendered  permanently  beneficial  to  the  community. 

"The  vigor  and  importance  of  the  proposed  plan  will  entirely 
depend  on  the  laws  relative  thereto.  Unless  the  laws  shall  be 
equal  to  the  object,  and  rigidly  enforced,  no  energetic  national 
militia  can  be  established. 

"If  wealth  be  admitted  as  a  principle  of  exemption,  the  plan 
cannot  be  executed.  It  is  the  wisdom  of  political  establishments 
to  make  the  wealth  of  individuals  subservient  to  the  general  good, 
and  not  to  suffer  it  to  corrupt  or  attain  undue  indulgence. 

"  It  is  conceded  that  people,  solicitous  to  be  exonerated  from 
their  proportion  of  public  duty,  may  exclaim  against  the  proposed 
arrangement  as  an  intolerable  hardship.  But  it  ought  to  be 
strongly  impressed  that,  while  society  has  its  claims,  it  also  has  its 
indispensable  obligations.  That  to  attempt  such  a  degree  of  refine- 
ment as  to  exonerate  the  members  of  the  community  from  all  per- 
sonal service  is  to  render  them  incapable  of  the  exercise  and 
unworthy  of  the  character  of  freemen. 

"  Every  State  possesses  not  only  the  right  of  personal  service 
from  its  members,  but  the  right  to  regulate  the  service  on  princi- 
ples of  equality  for  the  general  defense.  All  being  bound,  none 
can  complain  of   injustice  on  being  obliged  to  furnish  an   equal 


152  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

proportion.  Therefore,  it  ought  to  be  a  permanent  rule  that  those 
who  in  youth  decline  or  refuse  to  subject  themselves  to  the  course 
of  military  education  established  by  the  laws,  should  be  consid- 
ered as  unworthy  of  public  trust  or  honors,  and  be  excluded  there- 
from accordingly. 

''If  the  majesty  of  the  laws  should  be  preserved  inviolate  in 
this  respect,  the  operations  of  the  proposed  plan  would  foster  a 
glorious  public  spirit,  infuse  the  principles  of  energy  and  stability 
into  the  body  politic,  and  give  a  high  degree  of  political  splendor 
to  the  national  character." 

The  foregoing  classic  production  is  reproduced  in 
these  pages  with  the  object  already  stated  as  a  preface 
to  the  quotation  of  the  paper  itself,  and  not  with  a  view 
to  urge  the  adoption  of  the  plan  proposed  for  the  military- 
training  of  the  youths  of  America.  This  plan  was  con- 
sidered impracticable  in  the  period  of  its  origin,  and  it 
is  greatly  more  susceptible  of  being  so  considered  in 
the  present  condition  of  the  United  States.  The  paper 
has  been  fruitful  of  good  results,  however.  It  led  to  the 
establishment  of  a  military  law  under  the  operation  of 
which  some  effective  preparation  was  made  for  meeting 
the  British  foe  a  second  time.  Further  than  this,  it 
enunciates  certain  principles  underlying  a  free  and  healthy 
growth  of  republican  institutions,  which  must  live  as 
golden  maxims  as  long  as  the  Republic  exists,  and  which 
deserve  inculcation  as  an  essential  element  of  the  educa- 
tion of  American  youth.  It  constitutes,  also,  a  valuable 
part  of  the  subject  treated  in  this  division  of  the  present 
volume  —  the  history  of  military  education  in  the  United 
States  —  and  in  that  respect  will  serve  the  author  as  a 
convenient  text  upon  which  to  base  some  of  the  remarks 


ORIGIN  OF   THE  MILITIA   LAW.  1 53 

that  it  is  his  purpose  to  make  in  succeeding  pages.  In 
every  sense,  then,  it  will  be  interesting  as  well  as  instruc- 
tive to  take  a  rapid  glance  at  the  direction  which  the  sub- 
ject followed  under  subsequent  legislation. 

General  Knox's  paper,  as  heretofore  stated,  was  sub- 
mitted to  Congress  by  President  Washington,  through 
means  of  a  special  message,  on  January  21,  1790.  For 
a  period  of  some  six  months  its  recommendations  were 
informally  considered  and  discussed  by  both  Senators  and 
Representatives.  As  a  result  of  the  deliberation  then 
given  to  the  subject,  a  bill  was  drafted  and  introduced  into 
the  House  of  Representatives  on  July  i,  1790,  which  was 
entitled,  "  An  act  more  effectually  to  provide  for  the 
national  defense  by  establishing  a  uniform  militia  through- 
out the  United  States."  The  plan  adopted  in  the  bill, 
while  covering  some  of  the  features  recommended  by 
General  Knox,  was  wholly  different  in  general  construc- 
tion, as  well  as  in  practical  detail,  from  that  proposed  by 
the  early  War  Secretary.  Great  diversity  of  opinion  seems 
to  have  been  entertained  regarding  the  act  as  it  became 
ultimately  formulated.  Having  been  read  twice  and 
referred  to  a  committee  of  the  whole  house  on  the  date 
above  given,  no  further  action  seems  to  have  been  taken 
upon  it  until  December  14  following,  when  it  was  again 
read  twice,  the  original  draft  having  been  modified  proba- 
bly, and  again  referred  to  the  committee  of  the  whole. 
It  was  considered  by  this  committee  during  four  different 
sessions,  when  the  bill  was  referred  to  a  special  com- 
mittee, which  committee   reported   a   substitute   bill   on 


154  "^HE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

January  4,  1791.  During  the  previous  consideration  of  a 
militia  bill  protests  had  been  sent  to  Congress  against 
the  passage  of  such  a  law,  and  in  January,  1791,  the 
*'  Quakers  of  New  England "  forwarded  a  vigorous  pro- 
test against  that  under  consideration.  Whether  in 
consequence  of  this  or  not.  Congress  adjourned  without 
further  action  upon  the  subject.  At  the  first  session  of 
the  Second  Congress,  upon  November  21,  1791,  the  bill 
was  again  read  the  first  time.  Upon  February  21,  three 
months  later,  it  was  considered  in  the  committee  of  the 
whole,  and  after  receiving  consideration  in  several  ses- 
sions of  the  committee,  it  passed  the  House  on  the  6th  of 
March.  Upon  the  20th  of  the  latter  month  it  was 
reported  to  the  Senate  and  read  for  the  first  time.  After 
having  been  considered  by  the  latter  body  at  several  ses- 
sions, it  was  amended  and  sent  back  to  the  House  for 
concurrence  in  the  amendments.  The  Senate  amend- 
ments being  disagreed  to,  a  conference  committee  was 
appointed,  which  resulted  in  the  withdrawal  of  the  amend- 
ments, when  the  bill  was  sent  to  the  President,  and 
received  his  approval  on  May  8,  1 792.  This  act,  though 
since  amended  in  some  particulars  and  added  to,  in  order 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  subsequent  events,  still 
stands  as  the  basis  of  our  present  militia  law. 

Under  the  act  mentioned,  an  immediate  movement 
began  in  all  the  States  to  comply  with  its  provisions. 
It  was  soon  found  to  be  deficient,  however,  in  two  vital 
points :  first,  in  its  bearing  upon  the  rights  reserved  to 
the  States ;  and  second,  in  the  failure  to  provide  means 


BRITISH  OPINION  OF  AMERICAN  SOLDIERS.  1 55 

for  enforcing  the  requirement  of  the  law  concerning  the 
duty  of  each  citizen  to  furnish  his  own  arms  and  accoutre- 
ments at  his  personal  expense.  In  March,  1794,  the 
House  of  Representatives  appointed  a  committee  to 
report  what  amendments  and  alterations  were  necessary 
to  make  the  bill  effective  ;  and  in  December  of  the  same 
year  Secretary  Knox  made  a  special  report  upon  the 
difficulties  and  inconveniences  that  had  occurred  in  the 
execution  of  the  act.  From  this  time  forward  the  subject 
claimed  the  attention  of  Congress,  until  the  period  when 
complications  with  the  English  Government  began  plainly 
to  foreshadow  the  proximity  of  another  war  with  that 
haughty  power. 

In  his  message  of  December  3,  1805,  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son urged  the  necessity  of  organizing  and  disciplining  the 
militia,  as  did  also  President  Madison  in  his  message  of 
November  29,  1809.  The  War  of  181 2  soon  after  broke 
upon  the  country,  but  when  the  British  soldier  again  in- 
vaded America  he  found  his  old  enemy,  the  American 
volunteer,  ready  to  receive  and  welcome  him.  The 
militia  training  of  the  preceding  years,  though  it  had 
been  imperfect,  had  nevertheless  been  productive  of  some 
result.  The  historians  of  that  war  have  dwelt  upon  the 
deficiencies  of  our  raw,  undisciplined  troops,  and  to  some 
extent  their  strictures  are  just.  The  judgment  of  their 
British  adversaries,  however,  was  somewhat  analogous  to 
that  of  one  of  Shakspeare's  characters,  who,  in  speaking 
of  his  wound,  averred  that  it  v/as  "  not  so  deep  as  a  well, 
nor  so  wide  as  a  church-door;    but  'tis  enough."     Lord 


156  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Pakenham  found  raw  troops  at  New  Orleans,  and  he  also 
found  raw  cotton  there,  greatly  to  his  sorrow. 

For  the  information  of  those  desiring-  to  follow  the 
legislation  of  the  Government  concerning  the  organiza- 
tion, disciplining,  and  calling  into  general  service  of  the 
militia  of  the  country,  the  following  principal  acts  may  be 
consulted :  The  original  act  of  May  8,  1 792,  above  cited ; 
an  act  providing  arms  for  the  militia  throughout  the 
United  States,  July  6,  1 798  ;  the  additional  act  of  March  2, 
1803  ;  an  act  to  provide  for  organizing  the  militia  of  the 
District  of  Columbia,  March  3,  1803;  an  act  establishing 
rules  and  articles  for  the  government  of  the  armies  of  the 
United  States,  April  10,  1806;  an  act  to  provide  for 
calling  forth  the  militia,  April  18,  18 14;  an  act  concerning 
field  officers  of  the  militia,  April  20,  18 16;  an  act  to 
establish  a  uniform  mode  of  discipline  and  field  exercise 
for  the  militia.  May  12,  1820;  an  act  to  reduce  and  fix  the 
military  peace  establishment  of  the  United  States,  March 
2,  1821 ;  act  of  March  19,  1836;  act  of  July  29,  1861 ;  of 
July  2,  1862,  and  of  July  29,  1862. 

The  foregoing  brief  review  of  the  question  of  the 
militia  will  not  fail  to  impress  the  reader  with  the  convic- 
tion of  the  great  importance  constantly  attached  to  the 
problem  of  our  national  defense  by  our  people  and  by 
our  legislators.  Admitted  by  all  that  a  standing  army 
is  a  standing  menace  to  free  institutions,  the  difficulty 
with  which  our  predecessors  grappled,  and  which  still 
remains  without  satisfactory  solution,  is  how  to  make  a 
trained  soldier  of   an  ordinary  citizen  without  attaching 


IMP  OR  TA  NCR  OF  MI  LI  TARY  TRAINING.  1 5  7 

him  to  a  permanent  and  exclusive  military  establish- 
ment. Though  the  American  people  from  their  earliest 
history  have  been  accustomed  to  the  use  of  fire-arms, 
and  though  in  all  the  stations  of  life,  from  that  of 
frontiersman  to  that  of  denizen  of  a  city,  they  have  been 
taught  the  lessons  of  self-defense,  yet  past  experiences, 
from  the  first  battles  of  the  Revolution  to  the  earlier  con- 
flicts of  the  Rebellion,  have  not  failed  to  demonstrate  the 
necessity  of  discipline  and  training  for  the  making  of  an 
efficient  soldier.  To  fight  behind  a  breastwork  or  ram- 
part chiefly  requires  cool  nerve  and  good  aim,  but  to 
win  victories  in  the  open  field,  and  especially  where 
large  bodies  of  men  are  pitted  one  against  the  other, 
requires  precise  discipline,  harmony  of  movement,  and 
celerity  of  action.  Training  alone  can  impart  these  qual- 
ities to  the  soldier. 

Such  considerations,  in  connection  with  the  study 
given  to  the  subject  in  the  direction  of  training  a  body  of 
effective  militia,  led  at  a  very  early  day  to  the  suggestion 
of  a  permanent  military  school,  to  be  organized  and  main- 
tained by  the  General  Government.  As  stated  in  the 
earlier  part  of  the  present  chapter,  the  first  suggestion  in 
this  direction  was  made  soon  after  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  had  been  signed,  through  a  resolution  of 
the  Continental  Congress,  adopted  on  October  i,  1776, 
ordering  the  raising  of  a  committee  of  five  "to  prepare 
and  bring  in  a  plan  of  a  Military  Academy  of  the  army." 
Action  ceased  with  the  passage  of  this  resolution  until 
after   the  close    of   the    Revolutionary   War.     In    April, 


158  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

1783,  at  ^ the  instance  of  Colonel  Alexander  Hamilton, 
then  chairman  of  the  Committee  for  Peace  Arrangements, 
the  opinions  of  the  prominent  officers  of  the  army  as  to 
what  ought  to  constitute  a  proper  peace  establishment 
were  obtained  in  writing  through  the  General-in-chief. 
Among  the  opinions  called  forth  by  the  official  request 
above  mentioned,  the  following  are  of  particular  interest, 
as  illustrative  of  the  development  of  the  idea  of  a  regu- 
larly organized  military  school : 

"  Brigadier-General  Huntingdon  declared  that  'West  Point  has 
been  held  as  the  key  to  the  United  States.  The  British  viewed  it 
in  the  same  point  of  light,  and  will,  it  is  presumed,  keep  their  eye 
upon  it  as  long  as  they  regret  their  loss  of  the  country,  or  have  a 
passion  for  power  and  conquest. 

"  '  West  Point  is  exposed  to  a  coup-de-main,  and  ought,  therefore, 
to  be  always  in  a  complete  condition  of  defense.  With  a  little 
more  expense  than  that  of  maintaining  a  garrison  of  five  hundred 
or  six  hundred  men,  it  may  be  made  a  safe  deposit,  where  every 
military  article  may  be  kept  in  good  repair;  and,  with  a  small 
additional  expense,  an  academy  might  be  here  instituted  for 
instruction  in  all  the  branches  of  the  military  art.'^ 

"  Colonel  Timothy  Pickering,  the  Quarterm_aster-General  of 
the  army,  after  combatting  the  idea  of  instituting  academies  for 
military  purposes  at  the  different  arsenals  in  the  United  States, 
a  scheme  that  had  found  favor  with  some  of  the  officers,  proceeds 
to  say:  'If  anything  like  a  military  academy  in  America  be  prac- 
ticable at  this  time,  it  must  be  grounded  on  the  permanent  mili- 
tary establishment  for  our  frontier  posts  and  arsenals,  and  the 
wants  of  the  States  separately,  of  officers  to  command  the  defenses 
on  their  sea-coasts. 

"  '  On  this  principle  it  might  be  expedient  to  establish  a  mili- 
tary school  or  academy  at  West  Point.  And  that  a  competent 
number  of  young  gentlemen  might  become  induced  to  become 
students,  it  might  be  made  a  rule  that  vacancies  in  the  standing 


^  Correspondence  of  the  Revolution,  Sparks.  IV.,  27. 


A  GIT  A  TING  MILITAR  V  ED  UCA  TION.  I  5  9 

regiment  should  be  supplied  from  thence,  those  few  instances 
excepted  where  it  would  be  just  to  promote  a  very  meritorious 
sergeant. 

"  '  For  this  end  the  number  which  shall  be  judged  requisite  to 
supply  vacancies  in  the  standing  regiment  might  be  fixed,  and  that 
of  the  students,  who  are  admitted  with  an  expectation  of  filling 
them,  limited  accordingly. 

"'They  might  be  allowed  subsistence  at  the  public  expense. 
If  any  other  youth  desired  to  pursue  the  same  studies  at  the  Mili- 
tary Academy,  they  might  be  admitted,  only  subsisting  themselves. 

"'Those  students  should  be  instructed  in  what  is  usually  called 
military  discipline,  tactics,  and  the  theory  and  practice  of  fortifica- 
tion and  gunnery. 

"'  The  commandant  and  one  or  two  other  officers  of  the  stand- 
ing regiment,  and  the  engineers,  making  West  Point  their  general 
residence,  would  be  the  masters  of  the  academy;  and  the  inspector- 
general  superintend  the  whole.' ^ 

"  These  suggestions,  though  not  productive  of  immediate 
results,  did  not  fail  to  arrest  the  attention  of  statesmen  and  legis- 
lators on  the  general  subject  of  military  education  at  a  later  day. 

"'They  perceived  that,  although  the  ordinary  subordinate  and 
mechanical  duties  of  a  soldier  and  officer  might  be  performed 
without  especial  training,  the  higher  class  of  duties  and  the 
capacity  for  command  could  be  understood  and  exercised  only  by 
those  whose  intellectual  faculties  had  been  carefully  cultivated. 
They  felt  that  the  common  interpretation  of  the  axiom  that 
"knowledge  is  power,"  significant  and  important  as  it  is,  was  not 
its  noblest  and  worthiest  interpretation. 

"  '  Power  over  matter  and  over  the  minds  of  others  is  not  the 
choicest  gift  of  knowledge,  enviable  and  glorious  though  it  be:  it 
IS,  in  truth,  a  dangerous  gift.  But  power  over  the  mind  of  its 
possessor,  purifying  and  elevating  it,  subduing  all  that  is  low  or 
selfish  to  the  authority  of  duty  and  virtue,  this  is  the  distinguish- 
ing, the  kingly  gift  of  knowledge.  They  felt,  therefore,  that  the 
moral  as  well  as  the  intellectual  virtue  should  be  sedulously  nur- 
tured. They  were  convinced,  also,  that  in  a  free  state  it  was  most 
impolitic  and  unsafe  for  the  army  to  be  separated  in  habits,  inter- 
ests, and  feelings  from  the  other  orders  of  society;  and  they  recog- 

^Writings  of  Washington,  Sparks,  VIII.,  417. 


l6o  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

nized  in  knowledge,  which  is,  in  a  great  measure,  the  result  of 
mutual  interchange  of  thoughts,  the  true  principle  of  amalgama- 
tion. 

'* '  Many  of  them  had  been  observers  or  partakers  of  the  moral 
dangers  of  a  military  life;  they  were  aware  of  the  impoverished 
means  of  the  members  of  the  army,  and  of  the  probable  inability 
of  the  country,  for  a  long  period,  to  provide  more  for  them  than  a 
mere  support;  and  they  were,  consequently,  solicitous  to  impart  to 
them  knowledge,  "in  itself  an  economical  possession,"  the  pursuit 
of  which  is  inconsistent  with,  and  destroys  the  desire  for,  indul- 
gence in  idle  or  vicious  amusements.  To  these  general  considera- 
tions were  added  others,  growing  out  of  our  peculiar  form  of 
government,  and  the  sentiments  and  prepossession  of  the  people. 

''  'As  an  almost  necessary  consequence  of  the  national  experi- 
ence during  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  subject  of  military 
education  first  presented  itself  in  connection  with  the  organization 
and  improvement  of  the  militia.  While  they  bore  grateful  testi- 
mony to  the  services  and  valor  of  those  of  their  countrymen  who 
upheld  the  standard  of  the  United  Colonies  in  the  hours  of  dark- 
est gloom,  they  could  not  be  insensible  that  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence would  have  been  sooner  triumphantly  closed  if  those 
gallant  men  had  been  disciplined,  or  had  been  led  on  by  officers 
accomplished  in  the  various  branches  of  the  art  of  war.  They 
accorded  a  cordial  tribute  to  the  few  brave  spirits  who  devoted  all 
the  skill  and  science  they  had  acquired  in  "  the  Seven-years'  War," 
which  commenced  in  1754,  to  the  formation  of  military  habits  in 
the  new  levies,  which  were  raised  in  rapid  succession  during  the 
whole  progress  of  the  contest.  But  they  had  before  them  the 
admissions  of  these  officers,  and  of  their  beloved  commander,  that 
the  difficulties  of  their  perilous  undertaking  would  have  been 
greatly  diminished  if  a  knowledge  of  the  theory  and  science  of 
war  had  been  more  generally  diffused  through  the  army. 

'"A  striking  illustration  of  the  justness  of  these  views  is  con- 
tained in  an  official  report  made  by  General  Knox,  then  Secretary 
of  War,  to  the  President,  January  21,  1790.  In  this  report  the 
position  is  laid  down  that  "all  discussions  of  the  subject  of  a  power- 
ful militia  will  result  in  one  or  other  of  the  following  principles  ;  "^ 

"*i.     Either  efficient  institutions  must  be  established  for  the 


^  Pennsylvania  Daily  Advertiser,  Feb.  3,  1790. 


THE  DRIFT  OF  PUBLIC  SENTIMENT.  l6l 

military  education  of  youth,  and  the  knowledge  acquired  therein 
be  diffused  throughout  the  country  by  the  means  of  rotation  ;  or, 

*'  '■  2.  The  militia  must  be  formed  of  substitutes,  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  militia  of  Great  Britain.' 

"'If  the  United  States  possess  the  vigor  of  mind,'  says  the 
Secretary,  'to  establish  the  first  institution,  it  may  reasonably  be 
expected  to  produce  the  most  unequivocal  advantages,  and  a 
glorious  national  spirit  will  be  introduced  with  its  extensive  train  of 
political  consequences.' 

"The  only  provision  immediately  applicable  (in  this  able  state 
paper)  to  the  present  inquiry  is  that  which  required  the  young 
men,  from  the  age  of  eighteen  to  twenty  years,  to  be  disciplined 
for  thirty  days  successively  in  camps  of  instruction,  where,  in  addi- 
tion to  their  military  tuition,  they  were  to  receive  lectures  from 
the  chaplains  explanatory  of  the  value  of  free  governments,  and  of 
their  dependence  upon  the  knowledge  and  virtue  of  the  youth  of 
the  country.  A  proposition  similar  to  this,  with  the  exception 
that  the  term  of  instruction  was  limited  to  six  days  instead  of 
thirty,  was  submitted  to  the  House  of  Representatives  in  1821. 
And  it  may  induce  those  who  are  inclined  to  adopt  this  course  to 
be  reminded  how  soon  it  was  abandoned  by  its  first  projectors. 
The  obvious  objections  arising  from  the  expenditure  of  time  and 
money,  fromi  the  loss  occasioned  by  the  periodical  abstraction  of 
labor,  and  from  the  but  too  probable  formation  of  licentious  or 
indolent  habits,  seem  to  have  been  justly  regarded  as  decisive. 

"But  the  principle  underlying  all  these  propositions  continued 
to  germinate,  and  stimulated  those  entrusted  with  the  direction  of 
the  national  affairs  to  labor  for  the  establishment  of  an  institution 
at  which  young  men  might  receive  a  military  education,  who,  when 
separated  from  it  and  scattered  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land,  might  serve  as  instructors  of  the  untrained  militia  in 
times  of  peace,  and  upon  the  outbreak  of  war  furnish  a  powerful 
aid  in  organizing  and  concentrating  the  enormous  military  re- 
sources of  the  country. 

"  Herein  lies  the  chief,  and  by  far  the  most  valuable  and  com- 
prehensive motive  which  gave  origin  to  the  Military  Academy. 
Remote  from  foreign  jealousies  and  hostile  powers  save  those 
hidden  in  our  own  forests,  it  was  foreseen  that  the  presence  of  large 
standing  armies  was  inimical  to  republican  development,  and  that 


1 62  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

an  army  as  small  as  that  of  the  United  States  has  always  been,  and 
ought  ever  to  be,  could  only  supply  an  insignificant  quota  upon 
emergencies  of  great  magnitude. 

''Absorbed  in  the  temptations  and  allurements  to  the  acquisi- 
tion of  wealth  which  the  numerous  fields  of  American  enter- 
prise and  labor  afford,  it  is  in  vain  in  time  of  peace  to  expect 
civilians  to  qualify  themselves  for  the  performance  of  military 
duties,  with  little  or  no  prospect  of  pecuniary  remuneration  or 
military  renown;  and  were  even  any  such  inclined,  there  are  no 
institutions  where  the  necessary  qualifications  could  be  secured."* 


^  Quotation  from  the  History  of  West  Point,  by  Captain  Boynton. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

EFFORTS    TO  RENDER  THE  MILITIA  LAW  EFFECTIVE ACTION 

OF    CONGRESS REPORT  OF  SECRETARY    KNOX    UPON   THE 

DEFICIENCIES    OF    THE    BILL THE  ACT  OF  MAY    9,    1 794, 

TO     RAISE     A   CORPS     OF     ARTILLERISTS     AND     ENGINEERS, 
THE    REAL    STARTING-POINT    OF    THE    MILITARY    ACADEMY 

ITS    TEXT  IN  FULL THE    ADDITIONAL    ACT   OF    APRIL 

27,     1798 — SECRETARY    m'hENRY FULL    TEXT    OF     HIS 

HISTORIC    PAPER. 

A  S  heretofore  stated,  the  bill  growing  out  of  Secre- 
-^-^  tary  Knox's  remarkable  paper  upon  the  subject  of 
organizing  the  militia,  entitled  "An  Act  more  effectually 
to  provide  for  the  national  defense,  by  establishing  a  uni- 
form militia  throughout  the  United  States,"  became  a  law 
on  May  8,  1792.  Almost  coeval  with  the  first  attempts 
to  put  the  law  into  operation,  a  realization  of  the  difficulty, 
not  to  say  impossibility,  of  giving  it  practical  application 
and  usefulness,  began  to  appear  to  the  whole  people. 
Such  far-seeing  minds  as  that  of  Washington  discerned  at 
a  glance  that  some  other  expedient  must  be  resorted  to 
in  order  to  accomplish  the  hope  of  constituting  the  able- 
bodied  citizens  of  the  country,  within  the  limits  of  proper 
age,  into  an  efficient  military  reserve,  to  be  drawn  upon  at 
will  whenever  a  necessity  for  their  services  might  present 

itself.     Hence,  in  less  than  twenty  months  after  the  pass- 

163 


164  '^HE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

age  of  the  militia  bill,  we  find  him,  in  his  message  to  Con- 
gress, in  December,  1793,  carefully  feeling  his  way, 
through  suggestion,  to  a  subsequent  open  recommenda- 
tion to  establish  a  military  school  which  might  "  afford  an 
opportunity  for  the  study  of  those  branches  of  the  art 
which  can  scarcely  ever  be  attained  by  practice  alone." 

From  this  time  forward  the  whole  country  was  upon 
the  inquiry  to  discover  the  best  solution  of  the  question. 
The  militia  law  was  discussed  as  the  common  topic  of  con- 
versation. Many  of  the  States  endeavored  earnestly  to 
give  it  vitality  by  local  legislation.  The  European  sys- 
tems were  quoted  and  discussed.  Some  authorities  upon 
military  subjects  favored  this  measure,  and  others  favored 
that ;  but  running  beneath  all  propositions,  and  finally 
appearing  as  the  close  of  all  argument  upon  the  matter, 
was  the  sentiment  leading  to  the  establishment  of  a  school 
for  the  military  education  of  our  youth.  In  this  last  con- 
clusion there  was  not  so  much  of  a  conflict  with  the  idea 
of  a  military  establishment  as  would  appear  from  a  casual 
consideration  of  the  matter.  Farther  on  in  this  volume, 
the  subject  in  this  aspect  will  be  referred  to  again. 

But  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  school  continued  to 
grow  as  the  defects  of  the  militia  bill  became  more 
apparent.  The  friends  of  the  militia  system  made  a  pro- 
longed battle  in  its  behalf.  At  almost  every  session  of 
Congress,  dating  from  1794,  only  two  years  after  the 
passage  of  the  militia  bill,  until  the  year  18 19,  a  com- 
mittee was  raised  in  the  House  of  Representatives 
charged   with    the    duty    to    report    any  alterations    that 


REPORT  ON  MILITIA  BILL.  1 65 

might  be  necessary  to  make  effective  the  law  entitled 
"An  act  more  effectually  to  provide  for  the  national 
defense  by  establishing  a  uniform  militia  throughout  the 
United  States." 

Upon  the  24th  of  March,  1794,  Mr.  Cobb,  chairman 
of  one  of  these  committees,  made  the  following  report  to 
the  members  of  the  House  at  the  first  session  of  the 
Third  Congress: 

"That  they  [the  committee]  are  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  a  more  energetic  system  for  the  establishment  of  a  uniform 
militia  than  what  is  contemplated  by  the  present  existing  law  of 
the  United  States;  but,  in  viewing  this  subject,  as  applied  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  the  powers  therein  ex- 
pressly reserved  to  the  different  States,  they  have  their  doubts  how 
far  Congress  can,  consistent  therewith,  make  any  important  altera- 
tions or  amendments  to  the  present  law;  and,  as  the  right  of  train- 
ing the  militia  is  constitutionally  reserved  to  the  States,  if  they 
can  be  impressed  with  the  importance  of  exercising  this  power  and 
directing  its  operation,  more  especially  to  the  light  infantry  and 
grenadier  companies  of  each  regiment,  an  efficient  force  may  be 
thereby  created,  and  equal  to  any  that  can  probably  be  obtained 
by  any  additional  law  of  the  United  States,  made  under  the  consti- 
tutional powers  of  Congress.  Under  this  view  of  the  subject,  and 
until  further  experience  shall  be  had  under  the  existing  law,  the 
committee  are  of  the  opinion  that  no  amendment  is  necessary  to  the 
act  establishing  a  uniform  militia  throughout  the  United  States." 

At  the  second  session  of  the  same  Congress,  under 
date  of  December  29,  1794,  Mr.  Giles,  from  the  com- 
mittee appointed  to  prepare  a  plan  to  better  organize, 
arm,  and  discipline  the  militia  of  the  United  States,  made 
the  following  report : 

"  That  they  are  of  the  opinion  the  plan  for  organizing,  arming, 
and  disciplinmg  the  militia,  already  adopted  by  law,  may  be  made 


1 66  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

competent  to  all  the  purposes  of  an  efficient  militia,  by  remedying- 
the  difficulties  and  inconveniences  which  have  occurred  in  the  exe- 
cution of  the  same. 

"That  the  principal  difficulties  and  inconveniences  which  have 
occurred  in  the  execution  of  the  militia  system  particularly  respect 
the  incompetent  provisions  for  arming  them,  and  for  calling  them 
forth  to  execute  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  suppress  insurrec- 
tions, and  repel  invasions. 

"  It  appears  to  the  committee  that  the  principal  defects  in  the 
existing  provisions  for  arming  the  militia  consist  in  the  want  of  a 
competent  source  of  supplying  the  arms;  the  want  of  some  provis- 
ion for  furnishing  persons  with  arms  who  may  be  deemed  unable 
to  furnish  themselves;  and  the  want  of  adequate  and  uniform  pen- 
alties to  enforce  a  compliance  with  the  requisitions  of  the  existing; 
militia  laws. 

"The  committee,  not  having  that  part  of  the  subject  committed 
to  them  which  respects  the  calling  forth  of  the  militia,  recommend 
the  following  resolutions: 

'■'■Resolved,  That  the  act  entitled  'An  act  more  effectually  to 
provide  for  the  national  defense,  by  establishing  an  uniform  militia 
throughout  the  United  States,'  ought  to  be  amended  ;  and  that 
further  provision  ought  to  be  made  by  law  for  arming  the 
militia  of  the  United  States,  and  for  enforcing  the  execution  of  the 
existing  militia  laws  by  adequate  and  uniform  penalties." 

While  the  color  of  individual  opinion  upon  the  subject 
assumed  every  possible  shade  of  intensity  between  the  ex- 
tremes of  expression  represented  in  the  foregoing  reports, 
it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  two  chief  men  through 
whose  earnest  counsel  definite  action  upon  the  creation  of 
a  militia  army  had  found  direction  in  the  enactment  of 
the  militia  bill  —  that  is  to  say,  President  Washington  and 
his  distinguished  War  Secretary  — came  to  the  front  again 
in  connection  with  the  movement  relating  to  the  militia. 
Under  order  of  the  President,  General  Knox  submitted 
to  the  House  of  Representatives  upon  the  loth  of  Decern- 


DIFFICULTY  OF  ARMING  THE  MILITIA.  167 

ber,  1794,  a  statement  of  such  difficulties  and  inconven- 
iences  as  had  occurred  in  the  execution  of  the  act  now 
being-  considered.  The  main  part  of  this  report  is  as 
follows : 

"That  a  difficulty  of  primary  importance  appears  to  oppose 
the  execution  of  the  first  section  of  the  before  recited  act.  The 
militia  are  requested  to  arm  and  equip  themselves  at  their  own  ex-, 
pense;  but  there  is  no  penalty  to  enforce  the  injunction  of  the  law. 

"  The  subscriber  is  informed  that  several  States  have  passed 
auxiliary  laws  to  the  act  of  Congress.  The  laws  of  the  following 
States  upon  this  subject  are  in  his  possession,  viz.:  Massachusetts, 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  North  Carolina.  The 
penalties,  by  these,  for  non-equipment  and  armament,  appear  to  be 
according  to  the  following  extracts  : 

*  *  *  *  * 

"  But  it  is  certain  that,  were  the  penalties  greatly  enhanced,  an 
insuperable  difficulty  would  occur  in  obtaining  the  requisite  num- 
ber of  arms  in  any  reasonable  period.  The  numbers  comprehended 
in  the  act,  from  eighteen  to  forty-five  years  of  age  inclusively,  de- 
ducting the  exempts  and  mariners,  may  be  estimated  probably  at 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men.  Of  these,  probably, 
not  one  hundred  thousand  are  armed  as  the  act  requires,  although 
a  greater  number  might  be  found  of  common  and  ordinary  mus- 
kets, without  bayonets.  The  deficiency  cannot  be  supplied  from 
Europe  under  the  present  circumstances.  The  only  solid  resource 
to  obtain  is  the  establishment  of  manufactories  within  each  State. 

"The  deficiency  of  arms  cannot  be  more  forcibly  exemplified 
than  that  to  arm  the  militia  lately  called  into  service,  estimated  at 
fifteen  thousand,  the  number  of  ten  thousand  arms  have  been 
issued  from  the  public  arsenals.  Loss  and  injury  must  be  ex- 
pected to  arise  upon  the  articles  issued. 

"  No  adequate  provision  appears  to  be  established  by  the  act 
for  securing  the  obedience  of  the  militia  to  the  call  of  the  executive 
of  the  United  States. 

"  It  would  seem  essential  that  any  law  which  the  Congress 
should  pass  upon  the  subject  of  the  militia  should  contain  within 
itself  all  the  necessary  provision  for  its  complete  execution. 


1 68  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"  The  late  experiment  proves,  at  least  in  some  parts,  that  the 
law?  were  inefficient,  and  had  it  not  been  for  voluntary  zeal,  which 
came  to  its  aid,  the  community  might  have  experienced  great 
evils. 

"It  would  appear  to  be  essential  that  when  the  militia  are  in 
actual  service  they  ought  to  be  bound  by  the  military  code  of  the 
United  States. 

"  The  enrollment  of  men  of  the  ages  specified  in  the  act,  not- 
withstanding the  exemptions,  holding  them  responsible  for  mili- 
tary service,  and  enforcing  the  same,  appears  to  be  a  circumstance 
which  may  operate  injuriously  to  the  industry  and  convenience  of 
the  community. 

"  Of  the  returns  enjoined  by  the  tenth  section  of  the  saicl  act, 
the  following  only  have  been  received: 

Fro)7i  lb  to  40,         40  to  60.  Total. 

Massachusetts 54,428            22,819  77,247 

Connecticut 15,851 

New  Jersey 25,887 

Georgia 10, 120 

'*  Whether  the  act  in  question  is  susceptible  of  such  alterations 
and  amendments,  on  its  present  principles,  as  will  secure  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  a  well-organized  militia,  or  whether 
a  limited  but  select  and  efficient  corps  of  militia,  formed  on  a  prin- 
ciple of  rotation  or  otherwise,  and  taken  from  the  classes  least 
injurious  to  the  industry  of  the  community,  would  not  better  fulfill 
that  object,  and  at  the  same  time  better  comport  with  economy, 
are  questions  which  the  wisdom  of  Congress  alone  is  competent  to 
decide." 

The  foregoing-  report  of  Secretary  Knox  appears 
regretful  in  tone.  The  idea  of  constituting  an  efficient 
body  of  citizen-soldiers  upon  the  principle  of  rotation  had 
been  one  of  his  most  cherished  projects.  He  had  given 
much  thought  to  the  principle  underlying  a  conception 
which  contemplated  an  immense  army  of  well-drilled, 
efficient  soldiers,  springing,  upon  their  country's  call,  from 
all  of  the  private  and  industrial  channels  of  the  land ;  an 


RETIREMENT  OF  GENERAL  KNOX. 


169 


army  of  veteran  warriors,  created  from  a  multitude  of  civil- 
ians—  an  irresistible  horde  that,  like  the  men  of  Roderick 
Dhu,  should  leap  from  the  ground  at  the  sound  of  a 
bugle-horn,  and  after  performing  their  work  in  behalf  of 
an  imperiled  country,  might  sink  quietly  back  again  into 
the  civil  pursuits  of  life,  while  all  the  panoply  and  circum- 
stance of  glorious  war  should  vanish  into  thin  air,  like  a 
dread  specter  of  the  night  before  the  approach  of  "jocund 
day." 

But  General  Knox's  elaborate  and  cherished  plan  had 
not  met  the  sympathy  and  cordial  approval  that  he  con- 
fidently expected  his  fellow-citizens  would  accord  to  it. 
He  had  been  met  half-way,  that  was  all.  The  Congress 
had  enacted  his  "  Hamlet,"  but  with  the  character  of  Ham- 
let left  out.  They  had  accepted  his  child,  but  had  sur- 
rounded it  with  conditions  of  life  that  rendered  death  in 
infancy  an  inevitable  sequence.  He  was  too  much  of  a 
patriot  to  be  resentful,  and  he  had  the  best  interests  of 
his  country  too  much  at  heart  to  rejoice  in  a  failure  that 
doubtless  he  himself  had  foreseen.  Within  a  twelve- 
month from  the  date  of  the  report  above  quoted  this  able 
man  was  destined  to  lay  aside  the  cares  of  state,  and 
retire  to  his  own  hospitable  home  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 
The  tranquil  suggestions  of  the  closing  paragraphs  of  the 
report  are  marked  with  dignity  and  unselfish  patriotism. 
He  had  done  his  work  faithfully,  laboriously,  patriotically. 
He  bowed  to  the  superior  "wisdom  of  Congress,"  and 
without  pride,  -without  malice,  he  soon  after  made  his  exit 
from  an  arena  that  he  had  dignified  and  adorned.     He 


170  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

was  an  American  volunteer,  a  distinguished  soldier,  an 
eminent  statesman,  and  an  admirable  civilian.  What 
higher  meed  of  praise  can  be  rendered  to  any  of  the 
world's  toilers  than  this? 

F'or  many  years  subsequent  to  the  passage  of  the 
militia  law  herein  cited  it  continued  to  be  the  subject  of 
warm  discussion  among  the  people  at  large  as  well  as  in 
Congress.  It  was  repeatedly  referred  to  committees  with 
the  purpose  of  discovering  some  amendment  that  might 
make  it  practical  for  the  original  purpose.  As  late  as  the 
22d  of  January,  1819,  a  member  of  the  House,  Mr.  Har- 
rison, made  an  interesting  report  upon  the  law  and  the 
subject  which  it  covers,  which  report  concluded  by  copy- 
ing in  extenso  the  famous  paper  of  General  Knox,  already 
quoted  in  these  pages,  submitted  by  him  to  Congress  in 
the  year  1790. 

But,  though  the  bill  remained  unamended,  the  idea  of 
General  Knox  —  the  rotation  principle  upon  which  he 
insisted  —  was  finding  expression  in  another  direction= 
The  Secretary's  plan  comprehended  different  classes  in 
the  military  service,  one  of  which  v/as  to  be  a  school  in 
which  the  youth  of  the  United  States  were  to  be  m- 
structed  in  the  art  of  war.  From  this  first  grade,  desig- 
nated by  him  the  "advanced  corps,"  the  next  class,  called 
the  "main  corps,"  which  was  to  consist  of  those  who  were  to 
constitute  the  active  military  force  of  the  country,  was  to 
be  replenished  upon  the  principle  of  rotation.  It  was  the 
design  to  constitute  the  "advanced  corps"  upon  such 
principles  that,  when  completed,  it  would  receive  one-third 


FROGKESS    TOWARD  A    MILITARY  SCHOOL.  171 

part  and  discharge  one-third  part  of  its  numbers  annually. 
By  this  arrangement  one-third  part  would  be  well  dis- 
ciplined, and  one-third  part,  of  course,  would  consist  of 
undisciplined  youths.  After  the  system  had  been  estab- 
lished for  a  proper  time  the  "main  corps,"  constituting 
the  effective  army  of  the  Republic,  would  consist  of 
thoroughly  trained  and  disciplined  soldiers. 

Pendinof  the  discussion  which  followed  the  evident 
failure  of  the  militia  law  in  1 793  and  1 794,  the  rotation 
principle  of  General  Knox's  plan  found  vent  in  an  en- 
tirely different  direction,  as  just  observed.  A  bill  had  been 
introduced,  which  became  a  law  on  the  9th  of  May,  1 794, 
providing  for  "raising  and  organizing  a  corps  of  artiller- 
ists and  engineers."  As  this  bill  may  be  considered  the 
real  point  d'appui  which  has  found  the  full  extension  in 
an  organized  school  of  military  instruction  possessing  a 
local  habitation  as  well  as  a  name,  it  will  interest  the 
reader  to  peruse  it  in  full.     It  is  as  follows  : 

"  An  act  providing  for  raising  and  organizing  a  corps  of  artillerists 
and  engineers. 

''Section  i.  Be  it  enacted,  etc.,  That  the  number  of  seven 
hundred  and  sixty-four  non-commissioned  officers,  privates,  and 
artificers,  to  serve  as  privates  and  musicians,  shall  be  engaged  for 
the  term  of  three  years  by  voluntary  enlistments,  and  that  the 
proper  proportion  of  commissioned  officers  shall  be  appointed  to 
command  the  same. 

"  Sec.  2.  That  the  aforesaid  commissioned  and  non-commis- 
sioned officers,  privates,  artificers,  and  musicians  shall  be  incor- 
porated vv^ith  the  corps  of  artillery  now  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  and  denominated  the  corps  of  artillerists  and  engineers, 
and  that  the  entire  number  of  said  corps,  exclusively  of  the  com- 
missioned officers,  shall  be  nine  hundred  and  ninety-two. 


172  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

^'Sec.  3.  That  the  organization  of  the  said  corps  be  as  herein 
mentioned,  to-wit :  One  lieutenant-colonel  commandant,  one  adju- 
tant, one  surgeon;  four  battalions,  each  to  consist  of  one  major, 
one  adjutant  and  paymaster,  and  one  surgeon's  mate;  and  four 
companies,  each  to  consist  of  one  captain,  two  lieutenants,  two 
cadets  with  the  pay,  clothing,  and  rations  of  a  sergeant,  four  ser- 
geants, four  corporals,  forty-two  privates,  sappers,  and  miners,  and 
ten  artificers  to  serve  as  privates,  and  two  musicians. 

"  Sec.  4.  That  the  additional  commissioned  officers,  non-com- 
missioned officers,  privates,  artificers,  and  musicians,  by  this  act 
directed  to  be  raised,  shall  receive  the  same  pay  and  allowances  in 
all  respects  as  the  troops  already  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States;  and  they  shall  also  be  governed  by  the  same  rules  and 
articles  of  war  which  have  been  or  may  be  by  law  established. 

"  Sec.  5.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  of  War  ta 
provide,  at  the  public  expense,  under  such  regulations  as  shall  be 
directed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  necessary 
books,  instruments,  and  apparatus  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the 
said  corps. 

"Sec.  6.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  shall  cause 
such  proportions  of  the  said  corps  to  serve  in  the  field,  on  the 
frontiers,  or  in  the  fortifications  of  the  sea-coast,  as  he  shall  deem 
consistent  with  the  public  service." 

Two  features  of  this  act  are  particularly  noticeable: 
first,  that  the  purpose  of  scholastic  training  for  the  corps- 
is  distinctly  enunciated,  and  provision  made  for  books, 
instruments,  and  apparatus,  at  the  public  expense,  through 
which  to  carry  it  out ;  and,  second,  that  the  grade  of  cadet, 
up  to  that  time  entirely  new  in  the  American  service,  was 
unequivocally  created.  The  word  cadet  is  borrowed  from 
the  French  and  means,  in  that  language,  a  younger 
brother.  The  English  usage  of  the  word,  as  defined  by 
Webster  in  the  latest  edition  of  his  dictionary,  is  as  fol- 
lows: "A  gentleman  who  carries  arms  in  a  regiment  as  a 
private  man,  with  a  view  to  acquire  military  skill  and  ob- 


COJiPS  OF  ARTILLERISTS  AND  ENGINEERS. 


^n 


tain  a  commission.  His  service  is  voluntary,  but  he 
receives  pay,  and  thus  is  distinguished  from  a  volunteer." 
This  distinction  betvv^een  a  cadet  and  volunteer,  it  may  be 
remarked,  eft  passant,  has  been  strongly  perpetuated  down 
to  the  present  time.  The  name  changes,  but  the  distinction 
becomes  greatly  intensified  as  the  cadet  passes  from  pupil- 
age to  the  full  character  of  soldier. 

This  act,  as  will  be  observed,  provides  no  location 
for  the  school  which  it  created,  the  corps  being  subject  in 
respect  of  location  to  the  order  of  the  President.  As 
Aristotle  imparted  his  system  of  philosophy  to  his  pupils 
while  walking  in  the  Lyceum  at  Athens,  so  these  embry- 
onic soldiers  received  their  instruction  while  upon  the 
march.  The  new  school,  therefore,  was  peripatetic,  and 
perhaps  the  scholars  were  less  apathetic  in  consequence. 

Four  years  more  of  experience,  and  a  corresponding 
period  of  general  discussion  and  argument  as  to  the 
necessities  of  the  hour  and  of  the  future  day,  glided 
rapidly  by  and  brought  into  active  life  the  Fifth  Congress 
of  the  United  States.  The  belief  in  the  expediency  of 
educating  officers  of  the  army  at  the  national  expense  had 
slowly  but  surely  gained  converts  among  our  forefathers. 
Upon  the  27th  of  April,  1798,  another  act  was  approved 
providing  for  an  additional  regiment  of  artillerists  and 
engineers  with  a  corresponding  number  of  cadets,  "with 
the  pay,  clothing,  and  rations  of  a  sergeant,"  and  directing 
the  Secretary  of  War  to  provide,  at  the  public  expense, 
all  necessary  books,  instruments,  and  apparatus,  for  the 
use  and  benefit  of  the  regiment.     The  school  was  still 


174  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

peripatetic  and  subject  to  walking  orders  from  the  Presi- 
dent. Four  years  more,  however,  were  destined  to 
change  all  this  and  settle  the  pupils,  now  pretty  well 
worn  with  an  eight  years'  march,  permanently  upon  the 
banks  of  the  beautiful  Hudson  River. 

These  four  years  had  been  pregnant  of  change.  The 
beloved  commander  of  the  Revolution,  like  the  prophet 
Moses,  had  led  his  people  to  a  full  view  of  the  promised 
land  that  millions  now  enjoy;  and,  after  ** life's  fitful 
fever,"  he  had  wrapped  his  cloak  about  him  and  lain 
down  to  the  rest  that  knows  no  waking.  The  second 
President  of  the  United  States  had  assumed  direction. 
The  gallant,  brilliant,  patriotic  Knox  had  retired  from  the 
War  Ofhce,  and  McHenry,  a  former  aide-de-camp  to 
General  Lafayette,  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress 
from  1 783  to  1 786,  and  one  of  the  framers  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  in  1787,  had  taken  Knox's 
place  on  January  27,  1796.  The  latter — McHenry — 
had  served  as  Secretary  of  War  until  the  13th  of  May, 
1800;  he  had  made  a  most  important  contribution  to  the 
progressive  movement  destined  to  terminate  in  the  erec- 
tion of  a  fixed  establishment  for  imparting  a  military 
education  to  American  youth ;  and,  in  his  turn,  he  had 
passed  the  still  uncompleted  task  to  other  hands. 

The  present  review  of  the  military  education  move- 
ment in  the  United  States  now  approaches  a  period  of 
great  interest.  The  narrative  has  reached  the  threshold 
of  the  actual  achievement  of  a  project  toward  which  the 
logic  of  events  had  been  steadily  carrying  the  whole  sub- 


APPEARANCE  OF  SECRETARY  M' HENRY. 


175 


ject.     The  current  had  been  running  In  a  set  direction 
and,  instead  of  being  itself  deflected,  had  carried  all  argu- 
ment before  it. 

The  difficulty  of  access  to  the  early  records  of  our 
Government  by  the  general  people  has  been  stated  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Conformably  to  the  purpose  then 
announced,  to  place  the  records  relating  to  the  subject 
under  discussion  in  a  shape  to  be  easily  reached  by  those 
having  an  interest  in  it,  the  author  proceeds  to  quote  at 
length  two  documents  of  the  time  now  spoken  of,  that 
have  an  interest  but  little  less  intense  than  the  classic 
paper  of  Secretary  Knox,  already  given  to  the  reader 
of  these  pages.  These  documents  are  from  the  pen  of 
James  McHenry,  mentioned  above  as  the  successor  of 
Knox  in  the  Department  of  War.  The  first  reflection 
caused  by  their  perusal  must  be  upon  the  immense  stride 
which  the  subject  had  taken  in  less  than  a  single  decade. 
From  the  mere  suggestion  of  Washington,  in  1793,  to 
the  papers  of  McHenry,  in  1800,  there  appears  a  develop- 
ment of  this  particular  subject  only  to  be  explained  by 
the  fact  that  it  occurred  in  a  nation  which,  from  a  condi- 
tion of  colonial  dependence,  has,  in  little  more  than  one 
hundred  years,  become  the  exemplar  of  all  others,  com- 
pelling the  most  powerful  of  them,  through  mere  force 
of  example  alone,  to  adopt  reforms  and  measures  of  prog- 
ress that,  in  the  absence  of  it,  certainly  could  not  have 
been  reached  by  ordinary  course  in  a  period  of  five  hun- 
dred years.  The  author  trusts  that  he  speaks  without 
bombast,   and  with  no  more  than   a  becoming  national 


176  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

pride.  In  the  first  agitation  of  the  subject,  tlie  idea  of 
schoohng  had  been  limited  to  a  very  simple  basis.  Under 
the  hand  of  McHenry,  it  approached  in  character  and 
scope  the  most  extensive  military  schools  of  Europe. 
Nor  did  it  stop  with  the  education  of  soldiers  for  service 
upon  land,  but  also  embraced  a  naval  education  for  the 
soldiers  of  the  sea,  if  such  an  expression  may  be  deemed 
admissible.  As  to  the  influences  of  the  period,  which 
served  to  fructify  the  seed  of  the  tree  that  was  now 
assuming  such  wide-spreading  proportions,  the  author 
reserves  his  remarks  for  a  subsequent  chapter. 

The  paper  of  Secretary  McHenry,  like  that  of  Secre- 
tary Knox,  is  here  given  in  full,  without  apology  for  the 
insertion  of  such  parts  as  may  be  considered  not  immedi- 
ately relative  to  the  subject  under  treatment. 

At  the  first  session  of  the  Sixth  Congress  President 
John  Adams,  under  date  of  January  13,  1800,  transmitted 
by  special  message  to  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives a  report  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  made  to 
him  upon  the  5th  of  the  same  month,  containing  "vari- 
ous matters  in  which  the  honor  and  safety  of  the  nation 
are  deeply  interested."  In  transmitting  it  to  the  two 
houses  he  recommended  the  matter  "to  their  serious 
consideration." 

The  following  is  the  report  as  sent : 

"The  Secretary  of  War  respectfully  requests  the  attention  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States  to  certain  measures  and  arrange- 
ments which  appear  to  him  to  be  indispensable  to  the  improve- 
ment of  our  military  system,  and  solicits,  if  it  shall  be  thought 
proper,  that  the  same  may  be  submitted  to  Congress. 


SECRE  TAR  Y  M' IIENR  V  S  REPOR  T.  IJJ 

"  No  sentiment  is  more  just  than  this,  that  in  proportion  as  the 
circumstances  and  policy  of  a  people  are  opposed  to  the  mainte- 
nance of  a  large  military  force,  it  is  important  that  as  much  perfec- 
tion as  possible  be  given  to  that  which  may  at  any  time  exist. 

"  It  is  not,  however,  enough  that  the  troops  that  it  may  be 
deemed  proper  to  maintain  be  rendered  as  perfect  as  possible  in 
form,  organization,  and  discipline:  the  dignity,  the  character  to,  be 
supported,  and  the  safety  of  the  country  further  require  that  it 
should  have  military  institutions,  should  be  capable  of  perpetuat- 
ing the  art  of  war,  and  of  furnishing  the  means  for  forming  a  new 
and  enlarged  army,  fit  for  service  in  the  shortest  time  possible,  and 
at  the  least  practicable  expense  to  the  state. 

"  Let  it  not  be  presumed  that  a  country,  however  distantly  sit- 
uated from  other  nations,  or  favored  by  the  courage  and  genius  of 
its  inhabitants,  can  neglect  with  impunity  military  institutions,  or 
that  it  may  safely  consider  all  regular  force  to  be  useless  except 
when  there  is  an  enemy  present  to  employ  it.  A  country  which 
acts  upon  such  a  maxim  will  invariably  attract  injuries  and  ene- 
mies, and  sooner  or  later  sink  by  internal  discords,  or  see  its  noble 
spirit  broken  down  by  repeated  humiliations,  and  the  whole  people 
thus  prepared  for  the  last  stage  of  national  degradation. 

"If  the  farmer  would  secure  his  flocks,  he  must  go  to  the 
expense  of  shepherds;  if  preserve  his  crops,  he  must  enclose  his 
fields.  In  like  manner,  to  insure  safety  to  the  nation,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  leading  avenues  into  it  be  guarded  by  troops  and 
fortifications.  Before  the  invention  of  gunpowder,  the  smallest 
villages  were  invested  with  walls,  so  that  a  long  siege  was  often 
requisite  to  reduce  them.  Since  that  epoch,  the  history  of  almost 
if  not  every  war  contains  undeniable  proofs  of  the  utility  of  forti- 
fications, and  the  necessity  of  disciplined  troops  to  the  defense  of 
a  country.  Would  it  be  wise  or  expedient  in  us  to  pursue  a  differ- 
ent course,  and  shut  our  eyes  against  the  innumerable  facts  on 
record  in  favor  of  their  essentiality?  Are  we  without  regular 
troops,  we  may  soon  lose  the  military  art;  are  we  without  engi- 
neers, not  a  little  of  the  money  employed  on  fortifications  will  be 
always  hazarded,  if  not  actually  thrown  away,  and  generals  of  the 
most  consummate  genius  forced  to  capitulate  in  the  field,  whose 
retreat  might  have  been  covered  by  a  fortification,  or  the  battle 
decided  in  their  favor  by  a  happily  contrived  intrenchment. 


178  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"Since,  however,  it  seems  to  be  agreed  that  we  are  not  to  keep 
on  foot  numerous  forces,  and  it  would  be  impossible,  on  a  sudden, 
to  extend  to  every  essential  point  our  fortifications,  military  science 
in  its  various  branches  ought  to  be  cultivated  with  peculiar  care  in 
proper  nurseries,  so  that  a  sufficient  stock  may  always  exist,  ready 
to  be  imparted  and  diffused  to  any  extent,  and  a  competent  num- 
ber of  persons  be  prepared  and  qualified  to  act  as  engineers,  and 
others  as  instructors  to  additional  troops,  which  events  may  suc- 
cessively require  to  be  raised.  This  will  be  to  substitute  the  ele- 
ments of  an  army  to  the  thing  itself,  and  will  greatly  tend  to  enable 
the  Government  to  dispense  with  a  large  body  of  standing  forces, 
from  the  facility  which  it  will  give  of  procuring  officers  and  form- 
ing soldiers  promptly  in  all  emergencies, 

"No  sound  mind,  after  a  fair  view  of  the  subject,  can  doubt 
the  essentiality  of  military  science  in  time  of  war  any  more  than 
the  moral  certainty  that  the  most  pacific  policy  on  the  part  of  gov- 
ernment and  the  most  solemn  and  well-observed  treaties  will  hot 
preserve  a  country  from  being  engaged  in  war  more  or  less  fre- 
quently. To  avoid  great  evils,  we  must  either  have  a  respectable 
force  always  ready  for  service,  or  the  means  of  preparing  such  a 
force  with  certainty  and  expedition.  The  latter,  as  most  agreeable 
to  the  genius  of  our  Government  and  Nation,  is  the  object  of  the 
following  propositions: 

"  1ST.     A  Military  Academy, 

"This  object  has  frequently  engaged  the  favorable  attention  of 
the  Legislature,  and  some  laws  toward  its  consummation  have 
been  passed.  These,  however,  being  yet  inadequate  to  afford  the 
requisite  instruction  to  officers  and  others  in  the  principles  of  war, 
the  exercises  it  requires,  and  the  sciences  upon  which  they  are 
founded,  the  adoption  of  a  more  perfect  plan  is  conceived  to  be 
indispensable  for  the  purposes.  With  this  view,  the  following  plan 
is  respectfully  suggested,  formed  upon  those  of  institutions  of  a 
similar  nature,  from  which  the  nations  who  have  founded  them 
derived  the  most  decided  advantages: 

"It  is  proposed  that  this  academy  shall  consist  ot  four  schools, 
one  to  be  called  'The  Fundamental  School;'  another,  'The  School 
of  Engineers  and  Artillerists;'  another,  'The  School  of  Cavalry 
and  Infantry;'  and  a  fourth,  'The  School  of  the  Navy;'  and  to  be 
provided  with  the  following  ofificers,  professors,  and  teachers: 


A  MI  LI  TAR  Y  A  CA  DEM  Y  RECOMMENDED.  1  79 

"A  Director-General  to  superintend  the  first  three  schools. 

"A  Director  of  the  Fundamental  School. 

"A  Director  of  the  School  of  Engineers  and  Artillerists. 

"A  Director  of  the  School  of  Cavalry  and  Infantry. 

"A  Director  of  the  School  of  the  Navy. 

"  Six  Professors  of  Mathematics. 

"Four  Professors  of  Geography  and  Natural  Philosophy. 

"Two  Professors  of  Chemistry,  including  Mineralogy. 

"Three  Architects, 

"Four  Designing  and  Drawing  Masters. 

"  One  Riding  Master. 

"One  Fencing  Master. 

"To  be  thus  distributed  among  the  several  schools : 

To  the  Fundamental  School. 
'*One  Director. 

"  Four  Professors  of  Mathematics. 

"  Two  Professors  of  Geography  and  Natural  Philosophy. 
"  One  Designing  and  Drawing  Master. 
"  One  Professor  of  Chemistry. 

To  the  School  of  Engineers  and  Artillerists 

"One  Director. 

"Two  Professors  of  Mathematics. 

"  Two  Professors  of  Geography  and  Natural  Philosophy. 

"  One  Professor  of  Chemistry. 

"Two  Architects. 

"  Three  Designing  and  Drawing  Masters. 

To  the  School  of  Cavalry  and  Infantry, 

"A  Director. 

"  A  Riding  Master. 

"A  Fencing  Master. 

To  the  School  of  the  Navy. 
"A  Director. 

"A  Professor  of  Mathematics. 

"  A  Professor  of  Geography  and  Natural  Philosophy. 
"An  Architect. 
"  One  Designing  and  Drawing  Master. 


l8o  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"The  Fundamental  School  is  designed  to  form  engineers, 
including  geographical  engineers,  miners,  and  officers  for  the  artil- 
lery, cavalry,  infantry,  and  navy;  consequently,  in  this  school  are  to 
be  taught  all  the  sciences  necessary  to  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
different  branches  of  the  military  art. 

"  The  School  of  Engineers  and  Artillerists,  to  teach  those 
admitted  therein,  and  appointed  and  designed  for  engineers,  the 
application  of  the  theoretic  knowledge  which  they  had  acquired  in 
the  Fundamental  School,  to  the  construction  of  all  sorts  of  fortifica- 
tions and  military  buildings  appertaining  thereto;  to  mines  and 
counter-mines,  sieges,  attack  and  defense;  to  mineralogy,  to  the 
art  of  projecting  and  constructing  bridges,  roads,  and  canals  and 
maritime  posts,  and  all  works  relative  thereto;  to  all  geographic 
and  topographic  operations,  the  calculations  relative  to  the  same; 
to  designing  and  drawing  charts,  etc. 

"  To  those  appointed  or  designed  for  the  artillery  service,  the 
application  of  the  theoretic  knowledge  acquired  in  the  Funda- 
mental School;  to  the  construction  of  gun-carriages,  pontoons,  the 
fabrication  of  cannon  and  fire-arms,  and  to  all  the  maneuvers*  of 
war  which  depend  upon  artillery. 

"  The  School  of  Cavalry  and  Infantry,  to  teach  those  admitted 
therein,  and  appointed  to  or  designed  for  the  cavalry,  the  tactics, 
exercise,  and  police  of  cavalry;  those  for  the  infantry,  the  tactics  of 
infantry,  and  all  that  concerns  the  police  of  an  army  in  the  field 
and  in  quarters. 

"The  School  of  the  Navy,  to  teach  those  appointed  to  or 
designed  for  this  service  the  application  of  the  knowledge  acquired 
in  the  Fundamental  School  in  arithmetic,  algebra,  geometry,  statics, 
and  navigation.  To  this  end,  after  having  passed  examination, 
they  shall  make  voyages  or  cruises  under  skillful  officers  for  cer- 
tain periods,  during  which  time  they  ought  to  be  exercised  in  the 
maneuvers  and  observations  most  useful  in  service,  and  be 
instructed  in  whatever  respects  rigging  of  vessels  of  war,  pilotage, 
and  the  management  of  cannon. 

Functions  of  the  Principal  Officers. 

"  The  Director-General  to  have  the  general  superintendency  of 

the    schools,  particularly  of  the  Fundamental  School;    to  occupy 

himself  incessantly  with  the  means   of   attaining  the  ends  of  the 

institution,  which  is  the  greatest  possible  instruction  to  the  pupils. 


PLAN  OF  ORGANIZING  THE  ACADEMY.  l8l 

"He  will  inform  himself  of  their  progress  in  their  studies  rela- 
tive to  the  service  to  which  they  are  destined,  and  collect  all  the 
facts  proper  to  be  laid  before  the  President,  to  enable  him  to  form 
an  opinion  of  the  fitness  of  any  individual  who  has  not  had  one  for 
an  appointment;  or  in  case  he  has  to  judge  how  and  when  his 
talents  can,  upon  occasion,  be  most  beneficially  employed. 

"  He  will  attend  particularly  to  the  execution  of  whatever 
respects  the  admission  of  pupils;  their  transfer  from  the  school  of 
theory  into  that  of  practice;  their  passage  from  one  class  or  divis- 
ion in  the  same  school  to  another,  and  the  examinations  which 
they  ought  to  respectively  undergo. 

"  He  will  propose  a  list  of  the  officers  of  the  army  proper  to  be 
received  into  the  schools,  and  will  furnish  the  Secretary  of  War 
with  information,  from  time  to  time,  relative  to  their  progress, 
conduct,  and  capacity  to  fill  positions  to  which  their  genius  and 
knowledge  may  particularly  point. 

"He  will  give  such  certificates  to  the  officers,  cadets,  or  pupils, 
as  they  shall  have  merited. 

"The  directors  of  each  of  the  military  schools  will  receive  from 
the  Director-General  instructions  detailing  their  functions  and 
powers,  to  him  they  will  make  their  reports. 

"  With  respect  to  the  School  of  the  Navy,  the  director  thereof 
will  receive  his  instructions  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"The  Director-General,  and  the  other  directors,  to  be  officers 
of  the  army  and  navy,  according  as  the  studies  and  exercises  of  the 
particular  school  shall  be  most  intimately  connected  with  either 
service. 

"  These  schools  to  be  provided  with  proper  apparatus  and  in- 
struments for  philosophical  and  chemical  experiments,  for  astro- 
nomical and  nautical  observations,  for  surveying,  and  such  other 
processes  as  are  requisite  to  the  several  topics  and  branches  of 
instruction. 

**The  site  of  Schools  of  Engineers  and  Artillerists  and  of  the 
Navy  ought  to  be  on  navigable  water.  For  this  purpose  a  piece  of 
ground  ought  to  be  purchased,  sufficient  for  experiments  in  tactics, 
gunnery,  and  fortification.  The  situation  upon  a  navigable  water 
is  also  requisite,  to  admit  of  specimens  of  naval  construction  and 
naval  exercises. 

"  It  would  also  tend  greatly  to  the  perfection  of  the  plan  if  the 


1 82  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

academy  of  artillerists  and  engineers  was  situated  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  foundries  of  cannon  and  manufactories  of  small  arms. 

"  Barracks  and  other  proper  buildings  must  be  erected  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  directors,  professors,  and  students,  and  for 
the  laboratories  and  other  works  to  be  carried  on  at  the  respective 
schools. 

"  The  cadets  of  the  army,  and  a  certain  number  of  young  per- 
sons destined  for  military  and  naval  service,  ought  to  study  at 
least  two  years  in  the  Fundamental  School,  and,  if  destined  for  the 
corps  of  engineers  or  artillerists,  or  for  the  navy,  two  years  more 
in  the  appropriate  school;  if  for  the  cavalry  or  infantry,  one  year 
more  in  the  appropriate  school.  But  persons  who,  by  previous 
instruction  elsewhere,  may  have  become  acquainted  with  some  or 
all  of  the  branches  taught  in  the  Fundamental  School,  may,  after 
due  examination  by  the  directors  and  professors  of  that  school,  be 
either  received  then  for  a  shorter  time,  or  pass  immediately  to  one 
or  other  of  the  schools  of  practice,  according  to  the  nature  and 
extent  of  their  requirements  and  intended  destination. 

"In  addition  to  these,  detachments  of  officers  and  non-commis- 
sioned officers  of  the  army  ought  to  attend  one  or  other  of  the 
schools,  in  rotation,  for  the  purpose  of  instruction  and  exercise, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  corps  to  which  they  respectively 
belong. 

"  It  may  be  noticed  also,  in  this  place,  that  it  would  be  a  wise 
addition  if  Government  would  authorize  such  a  number  of  ser- 
geants, supernumerary  to  those  belonging  to  the  regiments  on  the 
establishment  as  would  suffice  with  them  for  an  army  of  fifty 
thousand  men.  All  the  supernumeraries  to  receive  according  to 
their  capacity  instruction  at  the  academy  and  to  be  occasionally 
sent  to  do  duty  with  the  army. 

"  This  outline  of  a  military  academy  which  is  conformable  to 
that  of  similar  institutions  in  other  countries,  particularly  in 
France,  is  not  meant  to  imply  anything  conclusive  :  the  plan  may 
be  modified,  perhaps,  to  advantage.  At  all  events  it  ought  to  be 
left  with  the  President  to  proportion  the  number  of  cadets  and 
others  to  be  admitted  into  the  schools,  and  to  prescribe  definitively 
relative  to  the  requisites  to  entitle  to  admission,  the  periods  of 
novitiate,  transfers  from  the  schools  to  particular  corps,  and  what- 
ever respects  organization,  regulations,  and  police. 


M'lIENR  Y '  S  ARC  UMENT  FOR  MI  LI  TAR  Y  ED  UCA  TION.    I  ^^ 

"  And  here  it  may  be  proper  to  observe  that,  though  provision 
should  be  made  by  law  for  the  proposed  establishment  in  its  full 
latitude,  yet  it  may  be  left  in  the  discretion  of  the  President  to 
appoint  so  many  of  the  professors  and  masters  only  as  experience 
shall  show  to  be  necessary. 

"Will  it  be  thought  superfluous  to  remark,  relative  to  the 
utility  of  this  institution,  that  it  is  from  the  military  schools  of 
France  have  issued  those  generals  and  other  officers  whose  skill 
and  recent  achievements  in  war  have  rendered  them  subjects  for 
military  history  and  enabled  the  present  governors  of  that  nation, 
successively,  and  almost  instantaneously,  to  form  immense  dis- 
ciplined armies? 

"  Is  it  riot  greatly  desirable  to  be  so  provided  and  prepared  for 
all  emergencies? 

"An  enemy  who  meditates  invasion  will  naturally  examine 
what  he  will  have  to  encounter  before  he  undertakes  it.  Acting 
with  common  prudence,  he  must  proportion  his  military  array  to 
the  obstacles  in  fortification  and  disposable  force  it  will  have  to 
overcome,  and  which  may  be  so  stationed  and  improved  as  to 
require  from  him  an  army  and  apparatus  expensive  beyond  his 
resources  to  support.  Our  country,  by  a  skillful  application  of 
very  moderate  means,  may  thus  avert  from  its  bosom  the  most 
expensive  and  calamitous  wars. 

"  In  treating  upon  such  an  institution  it  was  encouraging  to 
reflect  that,  happily,  it  coincided  with  your  uniform  wish  to  see  our 
country  placed  in  a  situation  which  would  entitle  the  just  maxims 
of  its  policy  to  be  respected  and  enable  it  to  meet  any  adverse 
accidents  it  may  be  reserved  to  encounter. 

"  The  measure  proposed  has  also  the  high  sanction  of  our  late 
venerated  President,  whose  talents  and  services  were  devoted,  not 
to  produce  personal  results,  but  to  render  a  whole  people  great, 
flourishing,  and  happy. 

"  '■  The  institution  of  a  military  academy,'  this  great  man 
observes  in  his  last  impressive  speech,  '  is  also  recommended  by 
cogent  reasons.  However  pacific  the  general  policy  of  a  nation  may 
be,  it  ought  never  to  be  without  an  adequate  stock  of  military 
knowledge  for  emergencies. 

''  *  The  first  would  impair  the  energy  of  its  character,  and  both 
would  hazard  its  safety,  or  expose  it  to  greater  evils,  when  war 


184  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

could  not  be  avoided.  Besides  that,  war  might  often  not  depend 
upon  its  own  choice.  In  proportion  as  the  observance  of  the 
pacific  maxims  might  exempt  a  nation  from  the  necessity  of  prac- 
ticing the  rules  of  the  military  art,  ought  to  be  its  care  in  preserv- 
ing and  transmitting  by  proper  establishments  the  knowledge  of 
that  art.  Whatever  argument  may  be  drawn  from  particular 
examples,  superficially  viewed,  a  thorough  examination  of  the  sub- 
ject will  evince  that  the  art  of  war  is  at  once  comprehensive  and 
complicated;  that  it  demands  much  previous  study,  and  that  the 
possession  of  it,  in  its  most  improved  and  perfect  state,  is  always 
of  great  moment  to  the  security  of  a  nation.  This,  therefore, 
ought  to  be  a  serious  care  of  every  government,  and  for  this 
purpose  an  academy,  where  a  regular  course  of  instruction  is 
given,  is  an  obvious  expedient  which  different  nations  have  suc- 
cessfully employed.' 

"Will  not  the  patriotism  and  good  sense  of  our  country  readily 
consent  to  found  an  institution,  at  a  moderate  expense,  recom- 
mended by  such  authorities,  and  which  must  produce  the  happiest 
effects  ?  And  yet  it  ought  not  to  excite  surprise  if,  in  a  season  of 
profound  peace,  the  minds  of  a  generality  of  a  people,  partaking 
of  the  public  calm,  should  become  inattentive  to  the  storm  that 
may  be  collecting  at  a  distance.  Are  we  in  the  midst  of  that  pro- 
found peace  universal  on  earth;  ought  the  watchmen  of  a  nation 
to  trust  to  such  evanescent  and  deceptive  appearances  ?  And  will 
not  an  intelligent  people,  instructed  by  the  wisdom  of  ages,  and 
having  every  reason  to  confide  in  those  to  whom  they  have  assigned 
the  direction  of  their  affairs,  gladly  see  establishments  arise  and 
arrangements  made  which  shall  render  the  thunder  harmless  when 
it  shall  burst  over  their  heads  ?  In  such  conjunctures  (and  such 
must  happen  to  the  United  States),  corps  of  well  instructed  officers 
and  troops  are  to  a  country  what  anchors  are  to  a  ship  driven  by  a 
tempest  towards  a  rocky  shore." 


CHAPTER  V. 

CONCLUSION  OF  SECRETARY  m'hENRy's  REPORT SUPPLE- 
MENTAL REPORT  CONCERNING  A  MILITARY  SCHOOL,  FEB- 
RUARY 13,  1800 PRESENTATION  OF  A  BILL  ESTABLISH- 
ING  A    MILITARY    ACADEMY,    MARCH    1 9,     1 80O PASSAGE 

OF    THE   ACT    OF    MARCH    1 6,    l802 FULL   TEXT    OF   THE 

LAW. 

rriHE  first  portion  of  Secretary  McHenry's  report  has 
-*-  been  given  in  full  in  the  preceding-  chapter,  devoted, 
as  it  is,  to  the  project  of  a  National  Military  Academy. 
The  second  and  concluding  portion  of  the  paper  proposes 
"a  modification  of  the  two  regiments  of  artillerists  and 
engineers,  so  as  to  create,  instead  thereof,  one  regiment 
of  foot  artillerists,  another  of  horse  artillerists,  and  a  third 
of  engineers."  As  there  is  much  matter  under  this  branch 
of  the  paper  which  has  no  special  relevance  to  the  subject 
now  under  consideration,  only  such  quotations  need  be 
made  as  seem  to  have  a  useful  bearing  upon  it  for  the 
present  purpose. 

The  acts  of  May  9,  1794,  and  April  27,  1798, 
which  create  two  regiments  of  artillerists  and  engineers, 
have  already  been  quoted  in  these  pages.  These  acts 
establish,  for  the  first  time,  the  grade  of  cadet  in  the 
United  States  Army.  Under  the  acts  named  the  officers 
of  artillerists  and  engineers  were  united  in  a  single  corps. 

125 


1 86  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Upon  the  subsequent  establishment  of  the  miUtary  school 
at  West  Point  a  different  arrangement  was  adopted. 

The  opening  paragraph  of  Secretary  McHenry's 
paper,  in  its  second  branch,  treats  of  the  point  thus: 

"  It  is  conceived  that  the  entire  union  of  the  officers  of  artil- 
lerists and  engineers,  in  one  corps,  as  in  our  present  establishment, 
is  not  advisable.  The  art  of  fortification  and  the  service  of  artil- 
lery, though  touching  each  other  in  many  points,  are  in  the  main 
distinct  branches,  and  each  so  comprehensive  that  their  separation 
is  essential  to  perfection  in  either.  This  has  been  ascertained  by 
long  experience.  Among  the  powers  of  Europe  there  is  not  one 
recollected  which,  at  the  present  day,  is  not  conscious  of  this  truth. 
When  any  of  them  have  attempted  to  unite  the  corps,  the  disad- 
vantages which  resulted  were  soon  felt  to  be  so  momentous  as  to 
produce  conviction  that  each  requires  a  separate  organization. 
Such  a  union  was  once  attempted  in  France. 

"According  to  an  ordinance  of  the  8th  of  December,  1755,  the 
artillery  and  engineer  corps  of  that  nation,  which  had  been  sepa- 
rate, were  combined  into  one.  The  experiment,  however,  was  of 
short  duration.  In  1758  the  engineer  corps  was  disjoined  from  the 
corps  of  artillery,  and  called,  as  before,  the  corps  of  engineers,  since 
which  time  these  corps  have  remained  separate. 

**  The  two  regiments  of  artillerists  and  engineers  consist  of  the 
following  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  privates,  each  of, 
viz.:* 

4:  :):  4:  :1c  4c 

"Let  the  regiments  of  foot  artillerists  and  horse  artillerists 
consist  each  as  follows,  viz.: 

"  One  Lieutenant-Colonel  Commander, 

"Three  Majors. 

"One  Adjutant,  \ 

"  One  Quartermaster,    V   each  being  a  Lieutenant. 

"  One  Paymaster,  ) 

"  One  Surgeon. 

"  Two  Surgeon's  Mates. 

"  Twelve  Captains. 


'  Here  follows  the  list  already  given  in  the  acts  named. 


ArilENKY' S  PLAN  OF  ORGANIZATION.  187 

"Twenty-four  Lieutenants,  besides  the  three  above  mentioned. 

"  Twenty-four  Cadets. 

"Three  Sergeant-Majors. 

"  Three  Quartermaster  Sergeants, 

"  Forty-eight  Sergeants. 

"Forty-eight  Corporals. 

"  One  Chief  Musician. 

"Twelve  Musicians. 

"  Seven  hundred  and  eighty  privates,  including  artificers. 

"The  artificers,  forming  a  part  of  each  company  in  the  regi- 
ments as  they  now  exist,  to  form  two  companies  of  miners  and  two 
companies  of  artificers,  to  be  arranged  as  will  be  hereafter  noticed. 

"It  is  also  proposed:  First,  in  the  event  of  war,  that  these  two 
regiments  shall  be  augmented  to  the  complement  of  officers  and 
men  composing  the  existing  regiments  of  artillerists  and  engineers. 
Second,  the  regiment  of  horse  artillerists  shall  perform  their  ser- 
vice on  horseback  during  the  war  only.  Third,  that  provision  be 
made  to  enable  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  case  war 
shall  break  out  between  the  United  States  and  a  foreign  European 
power,  or  in  case  imminent  danger  of  invasion  of  their  territory  by 
any  such  power  shall,  in  his  opinion,  be  discovered  to  exist,  to 
organize  and  cause  to  be  organized  two  additional  regiments  of 
horse  artillery.  Fourth,  that  the  officers  which  shall  become  super- 
numerary by  this  aforesaid  organization  shall,  at  the  discretion  of 
the  President,  be  transferred  to  fill  vacancies  in  other  regiments  on 
the  establishment  corresponding  with  their  grades,  or  be  retained 
to  fill  appropriate  vacancies  which  shall  happen  in  their  respective 
regiments  by  deaths,  resignations,  etc. 

"  In  addition  to  the  economical  effect  of  the  latter  arrange- 
ment, it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  officers  to  one  whole  battalion 
of  the  second  regiment  of  artillerists  and  engineers  have  not  yet 
been  appointed. 

"  The  regiment  of  engineers  consisting  entirely  of  officers,  if 
we  exclude  the  companies  of  miners,  it  remains  to  speak  of  its 
organization. 

"  Let  it  consist  of,  viz.; 

"  Two  Lieutenant-Colonels,  one  first  and  one  second,  as  already 
provided  by  law. 

"Three  Majors. 


1 88  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"  Twelve  Captains. 

"Twenty-four  First  Lieutenants. 

"  Twenty-four  Second  Lieutenants. 

"Twenty-four  Cadets. 

"The  companies  of  miners  and  their  labors  to  be  under  the 
direction  and  immediate  command  of  officers  of  this  corps,  and  to 
make  a  part  thereof. 

"  It  will  be  perceived,  and  it  is  observed  with  regret,  that  the 
engineer  regiment  cannot  be  immediately  formed  by  the  mere  act 
of  transferring  into  it  officers  from  any  of  the  existing  regiments. 
In  order  to  answer  its  high  destination  it  must  be  filled  slowly,  and 
under  the  exercise  of  great  caution  and  responsibility. 

"  For  this  purpose  selections  may  be  made  from  among  the 
officers  of  the  army,  and  others  who  shall  have  passed  through  the 
military  schools  and  prescribed  examinations,  and  who  obtain 
certificates  of  their  possessing  the  requisite  knowledge  and  quali- 
fications. 

"  It  may  also  be  permitted,  in  cases  of  uncommon  urgency,, 
requiring  the  completion  of  the  corps,  to  choose  officers  among  our 
citizens  whose  professions  or  functions  are  most  analogous  to 
those  of  engineers,  after  an  examination  by  a  special  commission 
named  by  the  President. 

"  But  let  it  be  remembered  that  this  corps  is  too  essential  to- 
the  success  of  military  operations  to  be  hurried  in  its  formation,. 
or  composed  of  other  than  persons  qualified  to  discharge  its  high 
and  important  functions.  Is  authority  necessary  to  support  this 
truth  ?  A  general  of  the  first  reputation  as  a  commander  observes 
on  this  subject,  in  speaking  to  his  government  of  an  officer  who- 
had  been  killed  in  action,  '  He  was  the  best  officer  of  engineers,  a 
body  on  which  so  much  of  the  success  of  campaigns  and  the  fate 
of  a  country  depend,  and  where  the  least  fault  may  be  attended 
with  the  most  fatal  consequences.' 

"  The  horse  artillery  being  a  subject  that  cannot  fail  to  attract 
attention,  it  will  not,  it  is  conceived,  be  deemed  superfluous  to 
submit  a  few  observations  and  facts  relative  to  its  structure,  advan- 
tages, and  importance. 

"The  Prussians  were  the  first  who  employed  horse  artillery^ 
invented  by  the  great  Frederick  at  a  time  when  the  league  which 
was  formed  against  him   called  upon  his  genius  to  multiply  his 


M '  HENR  Y '  S  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  II OR  SE  A  R I ILLER  Y.  1 8  9' 

resources.  It  was  then  that  the  same  army,  transported  with  a 
celerity  and  precision  till  then  unknown  in  war,  was  seen  to  triumph 
against  superior  forces  during  the  same  campaign,  upon  opposite 
frontiers  to  the  east  and  to  the  west  of  his  states.  It  was  then 
were  seen  horse  artillery  accompanying  strong  advanced  bodies  of 
cavalry,  without  embarrassing  or  retarding  their  rapid  marches 
and  evolutions, 

"  Horse  artillery  was  introduced  into  the  Austrian  army  during 
the  reign  of  Joseph  11. ,  but  it  was  not  made  a  principal  object,  and 
remained  in  a  state  of  imperfection.  The  cannoneers  were  trans- 
ported upon  the  ridges  of  covered  caissons,  stuffed  in  the  attitude 
of  men  on  horseback.     These  carriages  were  called  wurstwagen. 

"  Some  attempts  were  made  in  France  to  introduce  the  horse 
artillery  before  the  revolution  there.  The  subject,  however,  was 
not  well  understood.  The  general  officers  who  were  present  at  the 
attempt  proposed  to  place  the  cannoneers,  like  the  Austrians,  on 
wursfs. 

**  In  1791  Mr.  Duportail,  Minister  of  War,  authorized  the  com- 
mandant of  the  division  of  military  to  form  two  companies  of 
horse  artillery.  The  success  of  this  experiment  was  decisive,  and 
answerable  to  the  Minister's  expectations.  The  officers  and  men 
were,  in  a  few  weeks,  in  a  condition  to  maneuver  with  light  troops. 

"  In  1792  Mn  Narbonne,  who  succeeded  to  Mr.  Duportail,  com- 
posed a  committee  of  the  most  enlightened  officers  of  the  army  to 
examine  and  decide  upon  the  means  of  improving  and  extending 
in  the  French  army  the  use  of  horse  artillery. 

"  As  no  better  idea  can  be  given  of  this  new  military  arm  than 
what  is  reported  of  the  result  of  this  conference,  the  Secretary 
takes  the  liberty  to  introduce  it. 

"These  officers  resolved,  as  fundamental  points: 

"  I.  That  a  numerous  horse  artillery,  well  served  and  kept 
complete  in  cannoneers  and  horsesj  was  the  most  certain  mean  to 
protect  the  evolution  of  troops  indifferently  instructed,  to  support 
their  attacks  with  bayonets,  and  to  render  null,  by  positions  sea- 
sonably taken  and  with  celerity,  the  advantage  which  troops  better 
disciplined  might  confidently  promise  themselves  from  superiority 
in  maneuvers. 

"  2.  That  with  respect  to  the  employment  of  this  arm,  the 
rules  of  service,  instruction,  etc.,  the  horse  artillery  ought  to  differ 


190  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

from  the  field  artillery  only  in  having  its  pieces  so  managed  as  to 
be  drawn  with  the  utmost  celerity  wherever  they  can  produce  the 
greatest  effect,  and  in  the  cannoneers  being  able  to  follow  their 
guns  and  commence  action  as  soon  as  they  are  placed. 

"3.  That  to  fulfill  this  object  it  is  more  convenient  to  have 
the  cannoneers  all  mounted  on  horses  than  a  part  of  them  on 
wursts,  because  on  horses  they  are  less  subject  to  accidents,  their 
movement  more  rapid,  their  retreat  more  secure,  and  the  replacing 
of  horses  easy. 

"4.  That,  without  excluding  any  caliber,  it  appears  pieces 
carrying  balls  of  eight  and  twelve  pounds,  and  howitzers,  may  be 
most  advantageously  employed. 

"5.  That  it  is  unnecessary  to  discipline  a  horse  artillerist  in 
the  maneuvers  of  cavalry;  that  this  would  be  a  departure,  with- 
out utility,  from  the  principal  object;  that  it  is  enough  for  him  to 
know  to  sit  firm  on  his  horse,  to  mount  and  descend  quickly,  and 
conduct  him  boldly;  that  it  is  not  requisite  to  oblige  him  to  pre- 
serve any  order  in  following  his  piece,  leaving  it  to  his  intelligence 
to  learn,  if  he  chooses,  to  execute  the  maneuvers  of  cavalry. 

"6.  That  the  maneuver  a  la  prolonge  ought  to  be  employed 
in  every  case  in  which  it  is  practicable  to  use  it.  That,  the  horses 
remaining  attached  while  the  pieces  are  firing,  one  gains  all  the 
time  which  would  be  lost  in  removing  or  replacing  the  avant  train, 
and  thus  one  may  pass  fosses  and  rivers  with  the  utmost  celerity 
and  profit  of  positions. 

"7.  That  in  order  to  form  at  once  a  requisite  number  of  com- 
panies of  horse  artillery,  without  weakening  the  artillery  regi- 
ments, it  is  sufficient  to  employ  for  every  piece  two  skillful  can- 
noneers, and  to  draw  upon  the  infantry  for  the  rest." 

Thus  much  of  this  valuable  report  is  quoted  in  order 
to  exhibit  the  arguments,  among  others,  which  finally  led 
to  the  permanent  Military  Academy  at  West  Point. 
There  is  a  large  amount  of  matter  contained  in  the 
report  untouched  in  these  pages,  because  of  having  no 
direct  connection  with  the  subject  under  consideration, 
but     interesting,     nevertheless,     to     those     desirous    of 


ACTION  OF  ''COMMITTEE  OF  DEFENSE."  I9I 

exhausting  it  in  its  several  parts.  For  a  perusal  of  the 
full  report  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  "American  State 
Papers,"  Vol.  I. —  Military  Affairs,  page  133. 

The  foregoing  report,  after  having  been  considered 
in  the  House  of  Representatives,  was  referred  to  the 
"Committee  of  Defense,"  of  which  committee  Hon. 
Harrison  G.  Otis  was  chairman.  Through  this  official 
certain  inquiries  were  submitted  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  which  brought  from  him  a  further  paper  bearing 
date  of  January  31,  1800,  which  latter  was  communi- 
cated to  the  House  upon  the  13th  of  February  following. 
This  supplemental  paper  is  designed  to  afford  estimates 
of  the  necessary  buildings,  the  salaries  of  professors, 
and  to  give  the  coup  de  grace  in  favor  of  the  establish- 
ment of  the  school,  by  the  offering  of  such  arguments  as 
had  not  before  been  used.  The  paper  contains  much 
valuable  and  interesting  material.  Standing  immediately 
before  the  culminating  act  which  brought  into  existence 
the  military  school,  whose  imperfect  utility  under  the 
established  system  has  been  amply  demonstrated  since 
its  origin,  the  author  will  be  permitted  to  quote  liberally 
from  the  document  alluded  to.  Referring  to  the  report 
dated  January  13,  1800,  which  formulates  the  plan  for 
the  Military  Academy,  the  Secretary  says: 

"  The  report  contemplates  certain  military  schools  as  an  essen- 
tial mean,  in  conjunction  with  a  small  military  establishment,  to 
prepare  for  and  perpetuate  to  the  United  States,  at  a  very  moderate 
expense,  a  body  of  scientific  officers  and  engineers,  adequate  to 
any  future  exigency,  qualified  to  discipline  for  the  field,  in  the 


192  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

shortest  time,  the  most  extended  armies,  and  to  give  the  most 
decisive  and  useful  effects  to  their  operations. 

"It  is  not  conceived  the  United  States  will  ever  think  it  expe- 
dient to  employ  militia  upon  their  frontiers,  or  to  garrison  their 
fortified  places  in  time  of  peace,  nor  that  they  will  be  disposed  to 
place  their  reliance,  for  defense  against  a  foreign  invading  enemy, 
upon  militia  alone,  but  that  they  will,  at  all  times,  maintain  a  body 
of  regular  troops,  commensurate  with  their  ability  to  maintain 
them,  and  the  necessity  or  policy  that  may  demand  such  an  estab- 
lishment. 

"To  qualify  and  keep  our  citizens  in  general,  of  suitable 
bodily  ability,  prepared  to  take  the  field  against  regular  forces, 
would  demand  the  most  radical  changes  in  our  militia  system,  and 
such  uninterrupted  series  of  training,  discipline,  and  instruction,  to 
be  applied  as  well  to  the  officers  as  to  the  men,  as  comports  with 
regular  troops  only,  while  in  its  results  the  measure  would  be 
found,  on  account  of  the  loss  to  the  community,  occasioned  by  the 
abstraction  of  labor  or  occupation  and  direct  cost,  greatly  to 
exceed  in  expense  what  would  be  required  to  support  a  moderate 
military  establishment.  This  position,  which  is  thought  to  be  a 
sound  one,  does  not  bring  into  view  the  effects  of  the  measure 
upon  the  morals,  industry,  and  habits  of  the  citizens. 

"Practically  considered,  may  we  not  as  well  calculate  to  be 
commodiously  lodged,  and  have  the  science  of  building  improved, 
by  employing  every  man  in  the  community  in  the  construction  of 
houses,  and  by  excluding  from  society,  as  useless,  architects, 
masons  and  carpenters,  as  expect  to  be  defended  efficiently  from 
an  invading  enemy  by  causing  every  citizen  to  endeavor  to  make 
himself  master  of  the  several  branches  of  the  art  of  war,  and  ex- 
cluding engineers,  scientific  officers,  and  regular  troops. 

"There  is  certainly,  however,  a  system  as  it  respects  our  mili- 
tia which,  if  resorted  to  and  persevered  in,  may  secure  the  utility 
of  their  services  in  times  of  danger,  without  much  injury  to  the 
morals  or  materially  affecting  the  general  industry  of  the  nation, 

"When  the  perfect  order  and  exact  discipline  which  are  essen- 
tial to  regular  troops  are  contemplated,  and  with  what  ease  and 
precision  they  execute  the  different  maneuvers  indispensable  to  the 
success  of  offensive  or  defensive  operations,  the  conviction  cannot 
be  resisted  that  such  troops  will  always  have  a  decided  advantage 


THE  ADVANTAGES  OF  MILITARY  TRAINING.  I  93 

over  more  numerous  forces  composed  of  uninstructed  militia  or 
undisciplined  recruits. 

"  It  cannot  yet  be  forgotten  that  in  our  Revolutionary  War  it  was 
not  until  after  several  years'  practice  in  arms,  and  the  extension  of 
the  periods  for  which  oar  soldiers  were  first  enlisted,  that  we  found 
them  at  all  qualified  to  meet  in  the  field  of  battle  those  to  whom 
they  were  opposed.  The  occasional  brilliant  and  justly  celebrated 
acts  of  some  of  our  militia  during  that  eventful  period  detract 
nothing  from  this  dear-bought  truth.  With  all  the  enthusiasm 
which  marked  those  days,  it  was  perceived  and  universally  felt  that 
regular  and  disciplined  troops  were  indispensable,  and  that  it  was 
utterly  unsafe  for  us  to  trust  to  our  militia  alone  the  issue  of  the 
war.  The  position,  therefore,  is  illustrated  that  even  in  times  of 
greatest  danger  we  cannot  give  to  our  militia  that  degree  of  dis- 
cipline or  to  their  officers  that  degree  of  military  science  upon 
which  a  nation  may  safely  hazard  its  fate. 

"The  great  man  who  conducted  the  war  of  our  Revolution 
was  continually  compelled  to  conform  his  conduct  to  the  circum- 
stances growing  out  of  the  experimental  lessons  just  mentioned. 
What  was  the  secret  of  his  conduct  ?  Must  it  be  told  ?  It  may,  and 
without  exciting  a  blush  or  uneasy  sensation  in  any  of  his  surviving 
companions-in-arms.  He  had  an  army  of  men,  but  he  had  few 
officers  or  soldiers  in  that  army.  Both  were  to  be  formed,  which 
could  not  be  effected  in  a  single  campaign,  or  while  his  regiments 
were  continually  returning  home,  and,  like  the  waves  of  the  sea, 
each  in  their  turn  lost  in  the  abyss  and  succeeded  by  new  ones. 
It  was  not  till  after  he  was  furnished  with  a  less  fluctuating  and 
more  stable  kind  of  force,  that  he  could  commence,  with  a  prospect 
of  advantage,  military  instructions,  or  enforce  the  ordinances  of  dis- 
cipline; and  even  then  he  felt  that  time  and  instructors  were  re- 
quired to  render  his  labors  useful  and  enable  his  army  to  meet  the 
enemy  upon  anything  like  equal  te7'ms.  Are  we  to  profit  by,  or  is 
this  experience  to  be  lost  to  our  country? 

"The  art  of  war,  which  gives  to  a  small  force  the  faculty  to 
combat  with  advantage  superior  numbers,  iiidifferently  instructed^  is 
subjected  to  mechanical,  geometrical,  moral,  and  physical  rules;  it 
calls  for  profound  study;  its  theory  is  immense,  the  details 
infinite;  and  its  principles  rendered  useful  only  by  a  happy 
adaptation  of  them  to  all  the  circumstances  of  place  and  ground, 


194  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

variously  combined,  to  which  they  may  be  applicable.  Is  it  possi- 
ble for  an  officer  of  militia  to  obtain  a  competent  knowledge  of 
these  things  in  the  short  space  his  usual  avocations  will  permit 
him  to  devote  to  their  acquisition  ?  Is  it  possible  for  any  officer, 
having  acquired  knowledge  of  these  details,  this  theory,  and  these 
principles,  to  carry  them  into  practice  with  a  handful  of  militia,  in 
the  few  days  in  each  year  allotted  by  law  to  trainings  and  exercises  ? 
Is  that  perfect  subordination  and  obedience  of  men  to  their  officers, 
and  of  each  inferior  to  his  superior  officer,  through  all  the  grades  of 
rank,  from  the  corporal  up  to  the  commander-in-chief,  which  forms 
a  vital  principle  essential  to  the  force  and  energy  of  armies,  to  be 
acquired  by  or  communicated  to  a  body  of  militia  organized  and 
trained  according  to  our  laws  ?  And  does  it  consist  with  a  humane 
and  enlightened  policy  to  march  men  so  imperfectly  instructed 
and  disciplined,  unless  in  cases  of  the  last  extremity,  against 
veteran  troops  (v\'here  this  principle  reigns  in  full  activity)  com- 
manded by  skillful  and  scientific  officers  ?  Admitting,  however,  that 
militia  officers,  during  the  few  months  the  law  permits  their  corps 
to  be  retained  in  actual  service,  could  render  their  men,  by  incessant 
instruction,  capable  of  fulfilling  the  object  of  their  destination; 
yet,  as  that  advantage  is  but  momentary,  as  these  borrowed  instru- 
ments must  be  quickly  returned  to  the  depot  which  furnished 
them,  as  new  ones  must  be  resorted  to  and  successively  instructed, 
what  can  be  expected  from  such  a  system  but  perpetual  incoher- 
ence between  the  means  and  the  end,  and  certain  shipwreck  to 
the  best  connected  and  combined  military  projects  ?  This,  to  be 
sure,  is  the  old  story  ;  it  cannot,  however,  be  too  often  repeated, 
because  it  can  never  be  refuted. 

"The  secret  of  discipline,  and  the  importance  of  military 
science,  were  well  known  to  those  ancient  governments  whose 
generals  and  troops  have  filled  the  world  with  the  splendor  of 
victories.  According  to  Scipio,  nothing  contributed  to  the  success 
of  enterprises  so  much  as  skill  in  the  individual  officers.  The 
severity  of  the  Roman  discipline  is  well  understood,  and  the 
estimation  in  which  it  was  held  by  Caesar.  Livy  has  observed  that 
science  in  war  does  more  than  force.  Vegetius,  that  it  is  neither 
numbers  nor  blind  valor  which  insures  victory,  but  that  it  generally 
follows  capacity  and  science  in  war.  Machiavel,  who  has  written  upon 
military  affairs,  placed  so  much  dependence  on  an  exact  discipline 


NECESSITY    OF    COAST  FORTIFICATION.  195 

and  military  science  as  to  efface  from  his  list  of  great  generals  all  those 
who  with  small  armies  did  not  execute  great  tilings.  But  to  the  com- 
mittee it  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  the  authorities  of  generals  and 
writers  of  the  first  reputation  to  show  the  high  importance 
attached  to  military  science  and  discipline  in  all  ages  of  the  world, 
or  resort  to  history  for  evidence  of  its  effects.  They  must  be  well 
acquainted  with  the  facts,  and,  no  doubt,  will  give  them  their  due 
weight  in  considering  the  subjects  now  before  them. 

"There  is,  however,  an  authority  so  much  in  point  relative  to 
the  essentiality  of  the  institution  in  question  that  I  cannot  forbear- 
to  mention  it. 

"  The  Marshal  de  Puisegttr,  who  has  left  an  excellent  treatise- 
on  the  art  of  war,  the  result  of  his  experience,  observes: 

**  *  I  have  been,  perhaps,  at  as  many  sieges  as  any  of  those  irt' 
service,  and  in  all  sorts  of  grades:  as  subaltern,  I  have  commanded 
troops  and  working  parties  in  a  siege;  as  major,  I  have  conducted! 
to  the  trenches  and  posts  to  which  they  were  destined  troops  andi 
laborers;  I  have  been  major  of  brigade,  marshal  de  camp,  andi 
lieutenant-general;  however,  as  I  have  not  learned  fortification,, 
my  practice  has  not  enabled  me  to  acquit  myself  in  conducting 
attacks,  so  that  I  should  be  obliged  to  suffer  myself  to  be 
instructed  in  many  things  by  the  lights  of  engineers,  their  practice 
being  founded  upon  principles  which  are  known  to  them,  an 
advantage  I  have  not  in  this  branch  of  war.' 

"This  is  the  candid  acknowledgment  of  a  man  who  had  served 
sixty  years  in  the  army;  who  had  learned  the  military  art  under  a 
father  that,  in  forty  years'  service,  had  been  present  at  two  hun- 
dred sieges;  and  who  had  himself  passed  through  all  the  military 
grades,  and  arrived  from  an  inferior  to  a  superior  i^ank  but  after 
having  deserved  each  successive  promotion  by  some  distinguished 
action. 

"  A  slight  attention  to  circumstances,  and  the  actual  position 
of  our  country,  must  lead  to  the  conviction  that  a  well  connected 
series  of  fortifications  is  an  object  of  the  highest  importance  to 
the  United  States,  not  only  as  these  will  be  conducive  to  the  gen- 
eral security,  but  as  a  mean  of  lessening  the  necessity,  and  conse- 
quently the  expense  of  a  large  military  establishment. 

"  B)^  strongly  fortifying  our  harbors  and  frontiers  we  may  rea- 
sonably expect  either  to  keep  at  a  distance  the  calamities  of  war  or 


1 96  THE  VOL  UNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

render  it  less  injurious  when  it  shall  happen.  It  is  behind  these 
ponderous  masses  only  that  a  small  number  of  men  can  maintain 
themselves  for  a  length  of  time  against  superior  forces.  Imposing, 
therefore,  upon  an  enemy  who  may  have  everything  to  transport 
across  the  Atlantic  the  necessity  of  undertaking  long  and  hazard- 
ous sieges,  increases  the  chance  against  his  undertaking  them' at 
all,  or,  if  he  does,  in  despite  of  such  circumstances,  insures  to  us  the 
time  he  must  consume  in  his  operations  to  rally  our  means  to  a 
point  and  unite  our  efforts  to  resist  him. 

*'We  must  not  conclude  from  these  brief  observations  that  the 
service  of  the  engineer  is  limited  to  constructing,  connecting,  con- 
solidating, and  keeping  in  repair  fortifications.  This  is  but  a  single 
branch  of  their  profession,  though  indeed  a  most  important  one. 
Their  utility  extends  to  almost  every  department  of  war  and  every 
description  of  general  officers,  besides  embracing  whatever  respects 
public  buildings,  roads,  bridges,  canals,  and  all  sucl;  works  of  a 
civil  nature.  I  consider  it,  therefore,  of  vast  consequence  to  the 
United  States  that  it  should  form  in  its  own  bosom  and  out  of  its 
own  native  materials  men  qualified  to  place  the  country  in  a  proper 
posture  of  defense,  to  infuse  science  into  our  army,  and  give  to  our 
fortifications  that  degree  of  force,  connection,  and  perfection  which 
can  alone  counterbalance  the  superiority  of  attack  over  defense. 

"With  these  advantages  in  prospect,  is  it  not  incumbent  upon 
us  to  hasten  with  all  reasonable  diligence  the  commencement  and 
completion  of  an  institution  essential  to  realize  them  ?  And  are 
expenditures  which  give  such  valuable  results  to  be  otherwise 
viewed  than  as  real  economy  ?  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  Eng- 
land had  neither  native  artillerists  nor  engineers  before  the  time  of 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland  and  until  after  the  establishment  of  mili- 
tary schools." 

The  Secretary  then  proceeds  to  present  an  estimate 
of  the  cost  of  the  schools  recommended  in  his  former 
report,  both  for  buildings  and  salaries  of  professors.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  give  these  estimates  in  detail,  but  a 
statement  of  the  total  sum  may  not  be  without  interest. 
Two   plans    for   buildings   were   presented    by   different 


IN  PEACE  TREPARE  FOR   WAR.  1 97 

architects.  One  of  these  plans  called  for  an  expenditure 
of  $38,846.00,  and  the  other  for  an  outlay  of  $80,000.00. 
The  combined  salaries  of  all  the  professors  in  the  Funda- 
mental School  and  in  the  School  of  Artillerists  and 
Engineers  were  estimated  at  a  total  of  $10,489.20 
annually. 

The  close  01  the  paper  under  consideration  is  as 
follows : 

"  The  committee,  while  they  perceive  that  the  seed  which  it  is 
now  proposed  to  sow  is  to  yield  a  future  harvest,  will,  at  the  same 
time,  justly  appreciate  the  various  beneficial  consequences  which 
must  result  from  the  immediate  adoption,  and  the  striking  incon- 
veniences and  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  a  postponement  of 
the  measure. 

"Whether  our  country  is  to  be  plunged  into  a  war,  or  enjoy, 
for  a  length  of  time,  the  blessings  of  peace  and  interior  tranquility; 
whether  the  portentous  events  which  have  afiflicted  Europe,  and, 
in  their  progress,  threatened  the  United  States,  are  to  subside  into 
a  settled  state  of  things;  whether  the  blessings  of  peace  and  the 
customary  relations  among  the  transatlantic  powers  are  to  take  place, 
or  hostilities  shall  be  continued,  protracted,  and  extended  beyond 
their  present  limits  —  in  either  view,  it  is  equally  a  suggestion  of 
policy  and  wisdom  to  improve  our  means  of  defense,  and  give  as 
much  perfection  as  possible  to  such  establishments  as  may  be  con- 
ceived essential  to  the  maintenance  of  our  rights  and  security 
from  insults. 

"The  unavoidable  collisions  growing  out  of  trade,  and  the 
reciprocal  restrictions  of  great  commercial  states;  the  apprehen- 
sions and  jealousies  natural  to  powers  possessing  contiguous  terri- 
tory; the  inefficacy  of  religion  and  morality  to  control  the  passions 
of  men  or  the  interest  and  ambition  of  nations;  the  impossibility, 
at  times,  for  governments  to  adjust  their  differences,  or  preserve 
their  rights,  without  making  sacrifices  more  to  be  dreaded  than 
the  hazards  and  calamities  of  war — all  these  considerations,  illus- 
trated by  volumes  of  examples,  teach  the  soundness  of  the  axiom, 


198  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Si  vis  pacem  para  bclliim.  And  what  time  more  proper  to  prepare 
the  materials  for  war  than  a  time  of  peace,  or  more  urgent  than 
that  in  which  a  nation  is  threatened  with  war  ? " 

It  may  here  be  recalled  that  under  the  acts  of  1794 
and  1 798  the  cadets  therein  provided  for  received  instruc- 
tion in  mathematics  alone,  at  West  Point,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  private  citizen,  Mr.  George  Barron.  The  de- 
velopments arising  from  the  attempt  to  educate  young 
men  for  soldiers  under  the  system  of  ordinary  school 
teaching,  proved  conclusively  the  inutility  of  the  acts 
mentioned,  so  far  as  they  related  to  the  military  education 
and  discipline  of  a  cadet  designed  for  the  army.  It  had 
quickly  become  apparent  to  all  who  had  given  the  matter 
any  attention  that  either  the  whole  attempt  at  a  scholastic 
military  education  must  be  abandoned,  or  that  a  specific 
military  institution  must  be  created  and  located  at  a  fixed 
point,  and  the  corps  of  students  subjected  to  military  rules 
and  discipline. 

The  reports  of  Secretary  McHenry,  above  quoted,  con- 
stituted the  last  act  in  the  conflict  which  had  been  main- 
tained for  several  years  between  those  in  favor  of  the 
project  of  a  military  academy  and  those  opposed  to  the 
measure — those,  in  brief,  who,  being  wiser  than  their  gen- 
eration, did  not  believe  in  it,  in  the  form  at  least  under 
v/hich  it  was  urged.  The  battle-ground  had  been  fought 
over  by  the  contestants  ;  the  opponents  of  the  measure 
had  been  slowly  driven  from  their  positions ;  the  ammuni- 
tion of  oratory  had  been  lavishly  used.  The  failure  of  the 
first  attempt  under  the  acts  above  cited  had  then  created 


M'lJEKKY' S  CIJARGK  AGAINST  THE    WINDMILL.  ICjCj 

a  revulsion  somewhat  in  favor  of  the  objectors,  when  the 
sturdy  Secretary  of  War  made  a  final  bayonet  charge  and 
carried  the  work.  The  institution  at  West  Point  was  soon 
after  established,  and  the  question  of  adapting  it  to  a 
proper  usefulness  and  confining  it  witWn  proper  limits  has 
been  handed  down  to  the  actors  of  the  present  day. 

The  reports  of  Secretary  McHenry  must  be  conceded 
to  be  able  papers,  but  it  seems  surprising  to  the  reader  of 
the  present  time  that  they  should  have  aimed  so  far  and 
fallen  so  short  of  the  real  mark.  They  state  indisputable 
truth  and  urge  it  with  warmth  and  energy,  but  they  do 
not  state  the  whole  truth,  because  only  certain  factors  in 
the  problem  sought  to  be  solved  were  taken  into  consider- 
ation. The  whole  force  of  the  two  documents  is  expended 
in  the  attempt  to  prove  what  must  have  been  at  that  day, 
as  it  is  at  the  present,  a  recognized  truism,  viz.:  that  train- 
ing, discipline,  and  knowledge  of  relating  branches  of 
education  increase  the  efficiency  of  a  soldier.  No  one  can 
doubt  such  a  proposition  for  a  single  moment.  Art  and 
science  are  mighty  agents  in  the  game  of  battles,  but  they 
do  not  constitute  that  supreme  power,  that  crushing, 
sweeping,  irresistible  agency  that  decides  the  issue  of 
great  battles,  and  that  has  deeply  engraven  upon  the 
granite  shaft  forever  commemorative  of  military  achieve- 
ment such  names  as  those  of  Cyrus,  Alexander,  Hannibal, 
Pompey  the  Great,  G£esar,  Charlemagne,  Frederick  the 
Great,  Napoleon  I.,  of  Washington,  and  of  Grant.  The 
strength  of  the  Secretary's  argument  is  unimpeachable 
so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  value  of  education  and  discipline 


200  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

for  the  soldier.  But,  as  so  often  occurs  in  the  course  of 
argumentative  effort,  facts  certain  in  themselves  are  in  this 
instance  applied  to  and  made  to  support  false  conclusions. 
Thus  it  happened  that,  while  our  predecessors  placed  a  just 
value  upon  special  military  education,  they  were  impelled, 
by  influences  to  be  spoken  of  hereafter,  to  seek  practical 
development  of  the  idea  in  a  measure  the  wisdom  of 
which,  called  in  question  by  many  of  that  day,  has  been 
negatived  by  the  lapse  of  time  and  experience. 

Let  us  briefly  follow  the  legislative  events  succeeding 
the  presentation  of  the  last  two  reports  above  quoted. 
Upon  the  19th  of  March,  1800,  Mr.  Otis,  from  the  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  House,  presented  a  bill  establish- 
ing a  military  academy.  Having  been  read  twice  and 
opposition  to  it  being  manifested  by  some  of  the  members, 
it  was  referred  to  the  committee  of  the  whole.  No 
action  was  had  upon  it  until  the  28th  of  April  following, 
when,  after  consideration  and  further  opposition,  it  was 
postponed,  until  the  first  Monday  in  December  following, 
by  a  vote  of  64  in  the  affirmative  to  23  in  the  negative. 
No  further  action  upon  the  bill  was  taken  until  after  the 
lapse  of  more  than  one  year,  when,  upon  the  nth  of 
January,  1802,  it  was  again  put  upon  reading  in  the 
House.  Considerable  opposition  was  manifested  in  the 
latter  body  during  the  progress  of  the  bill,  and  many 
amendments,  some  of  which  were  adopted,  were  offered 
to  it.  The  bill  finally  passed  the  House  on  the  21st  of 
January,  by  a  vote  of  77  against  12.  Being  sent  to  the 
Senate,   it  was  again    amended    by   that   body.      These 


FINAL  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  MILITARY  ACADEMY.       20I 

amendments  having-  been  concurred  In  by  the  House,  the 
bill  was  enrolled  and  sent  to  the  President  on  the  15th  of 
March,  and  returned  by  him  approved  on  the  following 
day,  March  16,  1802, 

The  text  of  the  bill  is  here  given  in  full,  for  the  benefit 
of  those  wishing  to  consult  it   in  its  entirety : 

"  An  act  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment  of  the  United 
States. 

"  Section  i.  Be  it  enacted,  etc.,  That  the  military  peace  establish- 
ment of  the  United  States,  from  and  after  the  ist  of  June  next,  shall 
be  composed  of  one  regiment  of  artillerists  and  two  regiments  of 
infantry,  with  such  officers,  military  agents,  and  engineers  as  are 
hereinafter  mentioned. 

"  Sec.  2.  That  the  regiment  of  artillerists  shall  consist  of 
one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  four  majors,  one  adjutant, 
and  twenty  companies,  each  company  to  consist  of  one  captain, 
one  first  lieutenant,  one  second  lieutenant,  two  cadets,  four 
sergeants,  four  corporals,  four  musicians,  eight  artificers,  and 
fifty-six  privates,  to  be  formed  into  five  battalions :  Provided 
always,  that  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  President  of  the  United 
States  to  retain,  with  their  present  grade,  as  many  of  the  first 
lieutenants  now  in  service  as  shall  amount  to  the  whole  number 
of  lieutenants  required;  but  that,  in  proportion  as  vacancies  hap- 
pen therein,  new  appointments  be  made  to  the  grade  of  second 
lieutenant  until  their  number  amount  to  twenty,  and  each  regi- 
ment of  infantry  shall  consist  of  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant- 
colonel,  one  major,  one  adjutant,  one  sergeant-major,  two 
teachers  of  music,  and  ten  companies;  each  company  to  consist  of 
one  captain,  one  first  and  one  second  lieutenant,  one  ensign, 
four  sergeants,  four  corporals,  four  musicians,  and  sixty-four 
privates. 

"  Sec.  3.  That  there  shall  be  one  brigadier-general,  with  one 
aide-de-camp,  who  shall  be  taken  from  the  captains  or  subalterns 
of  the  line;  one  adjutant  and  inspector  of  the  army,  to  be  taken 
from  the  line  of  field  officers;  one  paymaster  of  the  army,  seven 
paymasters,  and  two  assistants,  to  be  attached  to  such  districts  as 


202  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

the  President  of  the  United  States  shall  direct,  to  be  taken  from 
the  line  of  commissioned  officers,  who,  in  addition  to  their  other 
duties,  shall  have  charge  of  the  clothing  of  the  troops;  three 
military  agents  and  such  number  of  assistant  military  agents  as  the 
President  of  the  United  States  shall  deem  expedient,  not  exceeding 
one  to  each  military  post;  which  assistants  shall  be  taken  from  the 
line;  two  surgeons;  twenty-five  surgeons'  mates,  to  be  attached  to 
garrisons  or  posts  and  not  to  corps. 

"  Sec.  4.  That  the  monthly  pay  of  the  officers,  non-commis- 
sioned officers,  musicians,  and  privates  be  as  follows,  to-wit:  To 
the  brigadier-general  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars,  which 
shall  be  his  full  and  entire  compensation,  without  a  right  to  receive 
or  demand  any  rations,  forage,  traveling  expenses,  or  other  per- 
quisites or  emoluments  whatsoever,  except  such  stationery  as  may 
be  requisite  for  the  use  of  his  department;  to  the  adjutant  and 
inspector  of  the  army  thirty-eight  dollars  in  addition  to  his  pay  in 
the  line,  and  such  stationery  as  shall  be  requisite  in  his  depart- 
ment; to  the  paymaster  of  the  arm}'-  one  hundred  and  twenty  dol- 
lars, without  any  other  emolument,  except  such  stationery  as  may 
be  requisite  in  his  department,  and  the  use  of  the  public  office  now 
occupied  by  him;  to  the  aide-de-camp,  in  addition  to  his  pay  in  the 
line,  thirty  dollars;  to  each  paymaster  attached  to  districts  thirty 
dollars,  and  each  assistant  to  such  paymaster  ten  dollars  in  addition 
to  his  pay  in  the  line;  to  each  military  agent  seventy-six  dollars 
and  no  other  emolument;  to  each  assistant  military  agent  eight 
dollars  in  addition  to  his  pay  in  the  line,  except  the  assistant  mili- 
tary agents  at  Pittsburgh  and  Niagara,  who  shall  receive  sixteen 
dollars  each  in  addition  to  their  pay  in  the  line;  to  each  colonel 
seventy-five  dollars;  to  each  lieutenant-colonel  sixt)''  dollars;  to 
each  major  fifty  dollars;  to  each  surgeon  forty-five  dollars;  to  each 
surgeon's  mate  thirty  dollars;  to  each  adjutant  ten  dollars,  in 
addition  to  his  pay  in  the  line;  to  each  captain  forty  dollars;  to 
each  first  lieutenant  thirty  dollars;  to  each  second  lieutenant 
twenty-five  dollars;  to  each  ensign  twenty  dollars;  to  each  cadet 
ten  dollars;  to  each  sergeant-major  nine  dollars;  to  each  sergeant 
eight  dollars;  to  each  corporal  seven  dollars;  to  each  teacher  of 
music  eight  dollars;  to  each  musician  six  dollars;  to  each  artificer 
ten  dollars,  and  to  each  private  five  dollars. 

"Sec.  5.    That  the  commissioned  officers  aforesaid  shall  be  en- 


SPECIFICA  TIONS  OF  OFFICERS'  KA  TIONS,  2O3 

titled  to  receive  for  their  daily  subsistence  the  following  number 
of  rations  of  provisions:  A  colonel,  six  rations;  a  lieutenant-col- 
onel, five  rations;  a  major,  four  rations;  a  captain,  three  rations;  a 
lieutenant,  two  rations;  an  ensign,  two  rations;  a  surgeon,  three 
rations;  a  surgeon's  mate,  two  rations;  a  cadet,  two  rations,  or 
money  in  lieu  thereof  at  the  option  of  the  said  officers  and  cadets 
at  the  posts,  respectively,  where  the  rations  shall  become  due;  and 
if  at  such  post  supplies  are  not  furnished  by  contract,  then  such 
allowance  as  shall  be  deemed  equitable,  having  reference  to 
former  contracts  and  the  position  of  the  place  in  question;  and 
each  non-commissioned  officer,  musician,  and  private,  one  ration; 
to  the  commanding  officers  of  each  separate  post,  such  additional 
number  of  rations  as  the  President  of  the  United  States  shall, 
from  time  to  time,  direct,  having  respect  to  the  special  circum- 
stances of  each  post;  to  the  women  who  may  be  allowed  to 
any  particular  corps,  not  exceeding  the  proportion  of  four  to  a 
company,  one  ration  each;  and  to  every  commissioned  officer 
who  shall  keep  one  ser\'ant,  not  a  soldier  of  the  line,  one  additional 
ration. 

"  Sec.  6.  That  each  ration  shall  consist  of  one  pound  and  a 
quarter  of  beef,  or  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  pork,  eighteen 
ounces  of  bread  or  flour,  one  gill  of  rum,  whisky,  or  brandy,  and 
at  the  rate  of  two  quarts  of  salt,  four  quarts  of  vinegar,  four  pounds 
soap,  and  one  pound  and  a  half  of  candles  to  every  hundred  rations. 

"  Sec.  7.  That  the  following  officers  shall,  whenever  forage  is 
not  furnished  by  the  public,  receive  at  the  rate  of  the  following 
sums  per  month  in  lieu  thereof  :  Each  colonel,  twelve  dollars; 
each  lieutenant-colonel,  eleven  dollars;  each  major,  ten  dollars; 
each  adjutant,  six  dollars;  each  surgeon,  ten  dollars;  and  each 
surgeon's  mate,  six  dollars, 

"  Sec.  8.  That  every  non-commissioned  officer,  musician,  and 
private  of  the  artillery  and  infantry  shall  receive  annually  the  fol- 
lowing articles  of  uniform  clothing,  to-wit:  one  hat,  one  coat,  one 
vest,  two  pair  of  woolen  and  two  pair  of  linen  overalls,  one  coarse 
linen  frock  and  trousers  for  fatigue  clothing,  four  pair  of  shoes, 
four  shirts,  two  pair  of  socks,  two  pair  of  short  stockings,  one 
blanket,  and  a  stock  and  clasp,  and  one  pair  of  half-gaiters;  and 
the  Secretary  of  War  is  hereby  authorized  to  cause  to  be  furnished 
to    the   paymasters    of    the   respective   districts    such   surplus   of 


204  TH^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

clothing  as  he  may  deem  expedient,  which  clothing  shall,  under 
his  direction,  be  furnished  to  the  soldiers,  when  necessary,  at  the 
contract  prices,  and  accounted  for  by  them  out  of  their  arrears  of 
monthly  pay. 

'"'■  Sec.  9.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  cause  to  be 
arranged  the  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians,  and 
privates  of  the  several  corps  of  troops  now  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States  in  such  manner  as  to  form  and  complete,  out  of  the 
same,  the  corps  aforesaid;  and  cause  the  supernumerary  officers, 
non-commissioned  officers,  musicians,  and  privates  to  be  discharged 
from  the  service  of  the  United  States  from  and  after  the  first  day 
of  April  next,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  circumstances  may  permit. 

"Sec.  10.  That  the  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  musi- 
cians, and  privates  of  the  said  corps  shall  be  governed  by  the  rules 
and  articles  of  war  which  have  been  established  by  the  United 
States,  in  Congress  assembled,  or  by  such  rules  and  articles  as  may 
be  hereafter,  by  law,  established:  Provided,  nevertheless,  that  the 
sentence  of  general  courts-martial,  extending  to  the  loss  of  life,  the 
dismission  of  a  commissioned  officer,  or  which  shall  respect  the 
general  officer,  shall,  with  the  whole  proceedings  of  such  cases, 
respectively,  be  laid  before  the  President  of  the  United  States,  who 
is  hereby  axithorized  to  direct  the  same  to  be  carried  into  execu- 
tion, or  otherwise,  as  he  shall  judge  proper. 

"Sec.  II.  That  the  commissioned  officers  who  shall  be  em- 
ployed in  the  recruiting  service  to  keep  up  by  voluntary  enlistment 
the  corps  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  for  every  effective 
able-bodied  citizen  of  the  United  States,  who  shall  be  duly  enlisted 
by  him  for  the  term  of  five  years,  and  mustered,  of  at  least  five 
feet  six  inches  high,  and  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  thirty- 
five  years,  the  sum  of  two  dollars:  Provided,  nevertheless,  that  this 
regulation,  so  far  as  respects  the  height  and  age  of  the  recruit,, 
shall  not  extend  to  musicians  or  to  those  soldiers  who  may  re- 
enlist  into  the  service.  And  provided,  also,  that  no  person  under  the 
age  of  twenty-one  years  shall  be  enlisted  by  any  officer,  or  held  in 
the  service  of  the  United  States,  without  the  consent  of  his  parent, 
guardian,  or  master  first  had  and  obtained,  if  any  he  have;  and  if  any 
officer  shall  enlist  any  person  contrary  to  the  true  intent  and  mean- 
ing of  this  act,  for  every  such  offense  he  shall  forfeit  and  pay  the 
amount  of  the  bounty  and  clothing  which  the  person  so  recruited 


RATES  OF  BOUNTIES  AND  PENSIONS.  205 

may  have  received  from  the  public,  to  be  deducted  out  of  the  pay 
and  emoluments  of  such  officer. 

"  Sec.  12.  That  there  shall  be  allowed  and  paid  to  each  effective 
able-bodied  citizen,  recruited  as  aforesaid,  to  serve  for  the  term  of 
rive  years,  a  bounty  of  twelve  dollars;  but  the  payment  of  six 
dollars  of  said  bounty  shall  be  deferred  until  he  shall  be  mustered 
and  have  joined  the  corps  in  which  he  is  to  serve. 

"  Sec.  13.  That  the  said  corps  shall  be  paid  in  such  manner 
that  the  arrears  shall  at  no  time  exceed  two  months,  unless  the 
circumstances  of  the  case  shall  render  it  unavoidable. 

"Sec.  14.  That  if  any  officer,  non-commissioned  officer,  musi- 
cian, or  private  in  the  corps  composing  the  peace  establishment 
shall  be  disabled  by  wounds  or  otherwise,  while  in  the  line  of  his 
duty  in  public  service,  he  shall  be  placed  on  the  list  of  invalids  of 
the  United  States,  at  such  rate  of  pay  and  under  such  regulations 
as  may  be  directed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  the 
time  being :  Provided,  always,  that  the  com^pensation  to  be  allowed 
for  such  wounds  or  disabilities,  to  a  commissioned  officer,  shall  not 
exceed  for  the  rate  of  disability  half  the  monthly  pay  of  such  officer 
at  the  time  of  his  being  disabled  or  wounded,  and  that  no  officer 
shall  receive  more  than  the  half-pay  of  a  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
that  the  rate  of  compensation  to  non-commissioned  officers,  musi- 
cians, and  privates  shall  not  exceed  five  dollars  per  month  ;  and, 
provided  also,  that  all  inferior  disabilities  shall  entitle  the  person  so 
disabled  to  receive  an  allowance  proportionate  to  the  highest  dis- 
ability. 

"Sec.  15.  That  if  any  commissioned  officer  in  the  military 
peace  establishment  of  the  United  States  shall,  while  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  die  by  reason  of  any  wound  received  in  actual 
service  of  the  United  States,  and  leave  a  widow,  or  if  no  widow,  a 
child  or  children  under  sixteen  years  of  age,  such  widow,  or  if  no 
widow,  such  child  or  children  shall  be  entitled  to  and  receive  half 
of  the  monthly  pay  to  which  the  deceased  was  entitled  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  for  and  during  the  term  of  five  years.  But  in  case  of 
the  death  or  intermarriage  of  such  widow  before  the  expiration  of 
the  said  term  of  five  years,  the  half-pay  for  the  remainder  of  the 
time  shall  go  to  the  child  or  children  of  such  deceased  officer  ; 
Provided,  always,  that  such  half-pay  shall  cease  on  the  decease  of 
such  child  or  children. 


206  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"  Sec.  i6.  The  paymaster  shall  perform  the  duties  of  his  office 
agreeably  to  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States 
for  the  time  being,  and  before  he  enters  on  the  duties  of  the  same 
shall  give  bonds,  with  good  and  sufficient  sureties,  in  such  sums  as 
the  President  shall  direct,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  said 
office,  and  shall  take  an  oath  to  execute  the  duties  thereof  with 
fidelity  ;  and  it  shall,  moreover,  be  his  duty  to  appoint  from  the 
line,  with  the  approbation  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
the  several  paymasters  to  districts  and  assistants  prescribed  by  this 
act ;  and  he  is  hereby  authorized  to  require  the  said  paymaster 
to  districts  and  assistants  to  enter  into  bonds,  with  good  and  suf- 
ficient surety,  for  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  respective  duties. 

"Sec.  17,  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  military  agents 
designated  by  this  act  to  purchase,  receive,  and  forward  to  their 
proper  destination  all  military  stores  and  other  articles  for  the 
troops  in  their  respective  departments,  and  all  goods  and  annuities 
for  the  Indians  which  they  may  be  directed  to  purchase,  or  which 
shall  be  ordered  into  their  care  by  the  Department  of  War.  They 
shall  account  with  the  Department  of  War  annually  for  all  the 
public  property  which  may  pass  through  their  hands,  and  all  the 
moneys  which  they  may  expend  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
their  offices  respectively.  Previous  to  their  entering  on  the  duties 
of  their  offices  they  shall  give  bonds,  with  sufficient  sureties,  in 
such  sums  as  the  President  of  the  United  States  shall  direct,  for 
the  faithful  discharge  of  the  trust  reposed  in  them,  and  shall  take 
an  oath  faithfully  to  perform  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices. 

"  Sec,  18.  That  if  any  non-commissioned  officer,  musician,  or 
private  shall  desert  the  service  of  the  United  States,  he  shall,  in 
addition  to  the  penalties  mentioned  in  the  rules  and  articles  of 
war,  be  liable  to  serve  for  and  during  such  a  period  as  shall,  with 
the  time  he  may  have  served  previous  to  his  desertion,  amount  to 
the  full  term  of  his  enlistment;  and  such  soldier  shall  and  may  be 
tried  by  a  court-martial  and  punished,  although  the  term  of  his 
enlistment  may  have  elapsed  previous  to  his  being  apprehended  or 
tried. 

"Sec.  19.  That  every  person  who  shall  procure  or  entice  a 
soldier  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  to  desert,  01  who  shall 
purchase  from  any  soldier  his  arms,  uniform,  clothing,  or  any  part 
thereof"  and  every  captain  or  commanding  officer  of  any  ship  or 


RESPECTING  PENALTIES  AND  COURTS-MARTIAL.         207 

vessel  who  shall  enter  on  board  such  ship  or  vessel  as  one  of  his 
crew,  knowing  him  to  have  deserted,  or  otherwise  carry  away  any 
such  soldier,  or  shall  refuse  to  deliver  him  up  to  the  order  of  his 
commanding  officer,  shall,  upon  legal  conviction,  be  fined  at  the 
discretion  of  any  court  having  cognizance  of  the  same,  in  any  sum 
not  exceeding  three  hundred  dollars,  or  be  imprisoned  any  term 
not  exceeding  one  year. 

"  Sec.  20.  That  every  officer,  non-commissioned  officer,  musi- 
cian, or  private  shall  take  and  subscribe  the  following  oath  or 
affirmation,  to-wit:  '  I,  A.  B.,  do  solemnly  swear  or  affirm  (as  the 
case  may  be)  that  I  will  bear  true  faith  and  allegiance  to  the 
United  States  of  America,  and  that  I  will  serve  them  honestly  and 
faithfully  against  their  enemies  or  opposers,  whomsoever;  and  that 
I  will  observe  and  obey  the  orders  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  orders  of  the  officers  appointed  over  me,  according 
to  the  rules  and  articles  of  war.' 

"Sec.  21.  That  whenever  a  general  court-martial  shall  be 
ordered  the  President  of  the  United  States  may  appoint  some  fit 
person  to  act  as  judge  advocate,  who  shall  be  allowed,  in  addition 
to  his  other  pay,  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  for  every  day  he 
shall  be  necessarily  empIo3'^ed  in  the  duties  of  the  said  court;  and 
in  cases  where  the  President  shall  not  have  made  such  appoint- 
ment, the  brigadier-general  or  the  president  of  the  court  may 
make  the  same. 

"Sec.  22.  That  where  any  commissioned  officer  shall  be 
obliged  to  incur  any  extra  expense  in  traveling  and  sitting  on  gen- 
eral courts-martial,  he  shall  be  allowed  a  reasonable  compensation 
for  such  extra  expense  actually  incurred,  not  exceeding  one  dollar 
and  twenty-five  cents  per  day  to  such  as  shall  be  entitled  to  forage. 

"Sec.  23.  That  no  non-commissioned  officer,  musician,  or  pri- 
vate shall  be  arrested,  or  subject  to  arrest,  or  to  be  taken  in  execu- 
tion for  any  debt  under  the  sum  of  twenty  dollars,  contracted 
before  enlistment,  nor  for  any  debt  contracted  after  enlistment. 

"  Sec.  24.  That  whenever  any  officer  or  soldier  shall  be  dis- 
charged from  the  service,  except  by  way  of  punishment  for  any 
offense,  he  shall  be  allowed  his  pay  and  rations,  or  an  equivalent 
in  money,  for  such  term  of  time  as  shall  be  sufficient  for  him  to 
travel  from  the  place  of  discharge  to  the  place  of  his  residence,, 
computing  at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  to  a  day. 


20S  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"Sec.  25.  That  to  each  commissioned  officer  who  shall  be 
deranged  by  virtue  of  this  act  there  shall  be  allo'ved  and  paid,  in 
addition  to  the  pay  and  emoluments  to  which  they  will  be  entitled 
by  law  at  the  time  of  their  discharge  —  to  each  officer  whose  term 
of  service  in  any  military  corps  of  the  United  States  shall  not  have 
exceeded  three  years,  three  months'  pay;  to  all  other  officers 
so  deranged,  one  month's  pay  of  their  grades,  respectively, 
for  each  year  of  past  service  in  the  army  of  the  United  States, 
or  in  any  regiment  or  corps  now  or  formerly  in  the  service 
thereof. 

"Sec.  26.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  is  hereby 
authorized  and  empowered,  when  he  shall  deem  it  expedient,  to 
organize  and  establish  a  corps  of  engineers,  to  consist  of  one  engi- 
neer, with  the  pay,  rank,  and  emoluments  of  a  major;  two  assistant 
engineers,  with  the  pay,  rank,  and  emoluments  of  captains;  two 
other  assistant  engineers,  with  the  pay,  rank,  and  emoluments  of 
first  lieutenants;  two  other  assistant  engineers,  with  the  pay,  rank, 
and  emoluments  of  second  lieutenants;  and  ten  cadets,  with  the 
pay  of  sixteen  dollars  per  month  and  two  rations  per  day;  and  the 
President  of  the  United  States  is,  in  like  manner,  authorized,  when 
he  shall  deem  it  proper,  to  make  such  promotions  in  the  said  corps 
with  a  view  to  particular  merit,  and  without  regard  to  rank,  so  as 
not  to  exceed  one  colonel,  one  lieutenant-colonel,  two  majors,  four 
captains,  four  first  lieutenants,  four  second  lieutenants,  and  so  as 
that  the  number  of  the  whole  corps  shall,  at  no  time,  exceed 
twenty  officers  and  cadets. 

"Sec.  27.  That  the  said  corps,  when  so  organized,  shall  be 
stationed  at  West  Point,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  shall  con- 
stitute a  military  academy;  and  the  engineers,  assistant  engineers, 
and  cadets  of  the  said  corps  shall  be  subject,  at  all  times,  to  do 
duty  in  such  places  and  on  such  service  as  the  President  of  the 
United  States  shall  direct. 

"Sec.  28.  That  the  principal  engineer,  and  in  his  absence  the 
next  in  rank,  shall  have  the  superintendence  of  the  said  military 
academy,  under  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States; 
and  the  Secretary  of  War  is  hereby  authorized,  at  the  public 
expense,  under  such  regulations  as  shall  be  directed  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  to  procure  the  necessary  books,  imple- 
ments, and  apparatus  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  said  institution. 


ACADEMY  ESTABLISHED  BY  A  RIDER.  209 

"Sec,  29.  That  so  much  of  any  act  or  acts,  now  in  force,  as 
comes  within  the  purview  of  this  act,  shall  be  and  the  same  is 
hereby  repealed;  saving,  nevertheless,  such  parts  thereof  as  relate 
to  the  enlistments  or  term  of  service  of  any  of  the  troops  which,  by 
this  act,  are  continued  on  the  present  military  establishment  of  the 
United  States." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

COMMENTS   UPON  THE  ACT  CREATING    THE    ACADEMY PROCU- 
RESS   OF    THE    INSTITUTION OUTBREAK    OF  THE  WAR  OF 

l8l2 ENFORCED    LEGISLATION    PRODUCES    THE    LAW    OF 

APRIL    29,     181 2 TPIE    REAL    CHARACTER    OF    THE    WEST 

POINT     ACADEMY REPORT    OF    GENERAL     BERNARD    AND 

COLONEL  m'rAE RECOMMENDATION  BY  JOHN  C.  CAL- 
HOUN TO  ESTABLISH  AN  ADDITIONAL  ACADEMY OPPOSI- 
TION TO   WEST   POINT THE   EXCLUSIVE    NATURE   OF   THE 

SCHOOL     SET     FORTH ITS    ARISTOCRATIC     TENDENCIES 

REPORT  OF  HOUSE  COMMITTEE  UPON  MEMORIALS SYNOP- 
SIS OF  THE  LAWS  AND  REGULATIONS  GOVERNING  THE 
ACADEMY DISCRIMINATION  AGAINST  THE  CITIZEN-SOL- 
DIERY. 

A  PERUSAL  of  the  law  in  its  full  text,  as  given  in 
-^-^  conclusion  of  the  immediately  preceding  chapter,, 
will  suggest  one  feature,  at  least,  of  particular  interest. 
The  establishment  of  an  academy  for  the  special  purpose 
of  imparting  to  American  youth  an  opportunity  to  obtain 
a  military  education  had  been  discussed  for  a  number  of 
years  previously  to  the  passage  of  the  law  just  quoted,  as 
will  appear  from  the  remarks  upon  the  subject  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages.  It  was  a  measure  of  much  importance,  and 
occupied  no  middle  ground.  It  was  either  a  wise  or  an 
unwise  measure,  one  calculated  to  do  much  good  or  to  be 


COMMENTS  UPON  THE  ACADEMY  BILL.  211 

productive  of  much  harm.  The  author  has  heretofore 
said  that  the  prospect  of  estabhshing  a  special  miHtary 
school  had  met  with  opposition,  though  the  extent  of  this 
latter  does  not  fully  appear  in  the  early  records.  There 
were  those,  however,  wise  enough  to  foresee  that  such  an 
institution,  while  possessing  undoubted  advantages  in  im- 
parting military  instruction,  would  be  fraught  with  danger 
to  a  republican  system  of  government. 

The  influence  of  Washington,  Knox,  McHenry,  and 
other  great  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  had  been  so  potent 
in  favor  of  the  measure  that  the  opposition  to  it  had  been 
mufBed  to  a  large  extent,  and  finally,  as  we  have  seen, 
overcome  in  so  far,  at  least,  as  to  put  the  project  upon  a 
trial.  It  is  safe  to  say  that,  at  the  time  of  the  passage  of 
the  bill  creating  a  fixed  military  school  at  West  Point,  the 
opposition  to  it  among  the  actual  legislators  in  both 
houses  of  Congress  was,  numerically  speaking,  much 
stronger  than  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  it.  But,  standing 
in  the  light  and  warmth  of  the  blessing  brought  by  the 
struggle  for  freedom,  the  non-military  people,  as  well  as 
the  soldiers  who  followed  General  Washington's  standard 
through  so  many  weary  marches  and  hard  fought  battle- 
fields, had  come  to  regard  him  with  a  kind  of  reverence, 
and  to  accept  his  opinions  as  almost  possessed  of  infal- 
libility. 

The  feature  of  the  bill  above  quoted,  to  which  atten- 
tion is  drawn  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  chapter,  is 
well  calculated  to  illustrate  the  feeling  against  its  expedi- 
ency which  existed  at  that  time. 


212  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

As  has  been  remarked,  the  measure  was  important  — 
nay,  very  important ;  but  it  will  be  observed  that  the 
whole  subject  of  creating  a  military  school  for  the  educa- 
tion of  American  soldiers  is  disposed  of  in  three  short 
sections  of  the  law  before  us. 

Further  than  this  the  legislation  appears  not  as  a  sep- 
arate and  openly  announced  fact,  but  as  an  appendix  to  a 
bill  whose  title  conveys  no  intimation  of  its  full  scope.  In 
the  present  legislative  vocabulary,  the  three  sections  cov- 
ering the  matter  of  a  military  academy  would  probably  be 
called  a  rider  to  the  bill,  and  the  idea  of  concealment  and 
of  unfair  means  would  be  suggested  thereby.  The  crea- 
tion of  the  school,  even,  is  not  positively  arranged  for.  It 
is  provisional  in  character,  "the  President  of  the  United 
States  being  authorized  and  empowered,  when  he  shall 
deem  it  expedient,  to  organize  and  establish  a  corps  of 
engineers;  *  *  *  that  the  said  corps,  when  so  organized, 
shall  be  stationed  at  West  Point,  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  shall  constitute  a  military  academy,"  etc. 

Such  distinctive  military  schools  as  existed  at  that 
period  in  Europe  had  been  erected  by  well-defined  ordi- 
nances, or,  it  may  be  said,  by  legislation.  The  entire 
plan  was  mapped  out  in  detail,  including  their  precise 
organization,  rules,  methods  of  teaching;  in  short,  the 
whole  system  of  their  regular  operation  was  distinctly 
and  openly  stated.  Not  so  with  their  American  imitator. 
Not  even  a  teacher  is  provided  for  in  the  bill.  The 
principal  engineer  is  to  have  the  superintendence  of  the 
Military  Academy,   under  the  direction  of   the  President 


THE  ACADEMY  BEGINS  ITS  GRO  WTII.  2  I  3 

of  the  United  States,  while  the  Secretary  of  War  is 
authorized  to  purchase  at  the  pubHc  expense,  under  the 
regulations  directed  by  the  President,  necessary  books, 
implements,  and  apparatus  for  the  use  and  be^iejit  of  the 
said  institution.  No  stipulation  is  made  as  to  how  cadets 
shall  be  appointed  and  entered ;  what  shall  be  the  term 
and  course  of  their  studies  ;  nor  their  future,  after  they 
shall  have  received  a  degree.  Considering  the  nature  of 
the  measure  inaugurated  by  the  last  three  sections  but 
one  of  this  law,  the  whole  proceeding  seems  extraordi- 
nary, and  only  to  be  explained  upon  the  theory  that  it 
barely  passed  as  a  sort  of  compromise  between  the  con- 
tending opinions. 

However,  the  basis  of  a  military  school  was  at  length 
securely  laid,  and  the  future  structure  was  to  be  reared  by 
subsequent  legislation.  The  work  upon  this  began  as 
early  as  the  following  year,  when  an  act  was  approved 
(on  the  28th  of  February,  1803)  authorizing  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  to  appoint  to  the  corps  of 
engineers  one  teacher  of  the  French  language  and  one 
teacher  of  drawing. 

For  about  five  years  after  this  but  little  was  heard  in 
Congress  of  the  Military  Academy.  Officials  had  been 
appointed,  and  the  work  of  imparting  military  educa- 
tion in  America  was  supposed  to  be  fairly  under  way. 
The  events  preceding  the  War  of  18 12  had  begun  to 
foreshadow  the  second  struggle  with  Great  Britain  soon 
to  follow,  when  public  interest  naturally  began  to  center 
toward  West  Point.     All  resources  in  the  emergency  of 


214  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

war  must  be  made  available,  and  the  experiment  of  the 
Military  Academy  must  not  be  overlooked  nor  neglected. 
On  the  1 8th  of  March,  1808,  Thomas  Jefferson,  then 
President  of  the  United  States,  transmitted  a  report  of 
the  progress  and  state  of  the  Military  Academy,  under 
cover  of  a  special  message  to  Congress.  Mr.  Jefferson 
stated  in  this  message  as  follows : 

"  The  scale  on  which  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  was 
originally  established  is  become  too  limited  to  furnish  the  number 
of  well-instructed  subjects  in  the  different  branches  of  artillery 
and  engineering  which  the  public  service  calls  for.  The  want  of 
such  characters  is  already  sensibly  felt,  and  will  be  increased  with 
the  enlargement  of  our  plans  of  military  preparations.  The  Chief 
Engineer  having  been  instructed  to  consider  the  subject,  and  to  pro- 
pose an  augmentation  which  might  render  the  establishment  com- 
mensurate with  the  present  circumstances  of  our  country,  has  made 
the  report  which  I  now  transmit  for  the  consideration  of  Congress. 

"The  idea  suggested  by  him  of  removing  the  institution  to 
this  place  is  also  worthy  of  attention.  Besides  the  advantage  of 
placing  it  under  the  immediate  eye  of  the  Government,  it  may 
render  its  benefits  common  to  the  Naval  Department,  and  will 
furnish  opportunities  of  selecting  on  better  information  the  char- 
acters most  qualified  to  fulfill  the  duties  which  the  oublic  service 
calls  for." 

The  report  alluded  to  was  made  by  the  Chief  Engi- 
neer, Colonel  Jonathan  Williams,  and,  as  conveying  the 
most  reliable  information  now  accessible  upon  the  con- 
dition of  the  school  six  years  after  its  regular  establish- 
ment by  act  of  Congress,  the  more  interesting  portions 
of  the  document  are  herewith  given. 

"This  institution,"  says  the  report,  "was  established  at  West 
Point  in  the  year  rSoi,  under  the  direction  of  a  private  citizen,  and 


DIFFICULTIES  SURROUND   THE  ACADEMY.  215 

was  nothing  more  than  a  mathematical  school  for  the  few  cadets 
that  were  then  in  service.  It  was  soon  found  that  the  government 
of  young  military  men  was  incompatible  with  the  ordinary  system 
of  schools,  and,  consequently,  this  institution  ran  into  disorder  and 
the  teacher  into  contempt. 

"When  the  peace  establishment  was  made  the  corps  of  engi- 
neers was  created,  and  the  twenty-seventh  section  enacts  that  the 
corps  'shall  be  stationed  at  West  Point,  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  shall  constitute  a  Military  Academy,  and  the  engineers,  assist- 
ant engineers,  and  cadets  shall  be  subject  to  do  duty  at  such  places 
and  on  such  service  as  the  President  of  the  United  States  may  direct.' 
It  was  not  probably  foreseen  that,  although  the  headquarters  of 
the  corps  might  be  at  West  Point,  yet  the  duties  of  the  individual 
officers  necessarily  spread  them  along  our  coast  from  one  extremity 
of  the  United  States  to  the  other,  and  as  the  whole  number  of  offi- 
cers can  be  no  more  than  sixteen,  they  could  not  in  their  dispersed 
state  constitute  a  Military  Academy.  The  incongruity  of  a  sta- 
tionary and  errant  existence  in  the  same  corps  has  been  amply 
exemplified  by  experience.  Indeed,  it  can  never  be  supposed  that 
engineers,  as  such,  could  be  efficient  elementary  teachers;  their 
capability  consistent  with  other  duties  is  confined  to  practical 
teaching  by  combining  example  with  precept,  and  carrying  the 
rudiments  of  the  art  into  practical  execution,  in  the  same  manner 
that  other  professional  men  generally  have  youth  under  their  tui- 
tion after  they  have  gone  through  every  branch  of  elementary 
learning  relating  to  their  profession. 

"A  part  only  of  the  officers  were  appointed  soon  after  the  pas- 
sage of  the  act,  of  whom  the  major,  who  was  ex-officio  the  chief 
engineer,  and  two  captains  took  charge  of  the  Academy,  the  stu- 
dents of  which  were  the  cadets  belonging  to  the  regiment  artillery. 
The  major  occasionally  read  lectures  on  fortifications,  gave  practi- 
cal lessons  in  the  field,  and  taught  the  use  of  instruments  gen- 
erally. The  two  captains  taught  mathematics,  the  one  in  the  line 
of  geometrical,  the  other  in  that  of  algebraical  demonstrations. 

*  *  *  "It  was  soon  discovered  that  mere  mathematics 
would  not  make  either  an  artillerist  or  an  engineer,  and  a  power 
was  given  by  law  to  appoint  a  teacher  of  drawing  and  of  the 
French  language.  *  *  *  From  that  time  to  this,  however,  the 
Academy  has  progressed  beyond  what  could  have  been  expected 


2l6  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

from  its  means,  but  now  the  first  mathematical  teacher  has  resigned 
and  the  second  has  for  several  years  been  employed  as  Surgeon- 
General  of  the  United  States  in  the  Western  country.  *  *  *  In 
short,  the  Military  Academy  as  it  now  stands  is  like  a  foundling, 
barely  existing  among  the  mountains,  and  nurtured  at  a  distance, 
out  of  sight,  and  almost  unknown  to  its  legitimate  parents.  The 
questions  that  have  been  frequently  put  to  the  subscriber  by  mem- 
bers of  Congress  evidently  show  that  the  little  interest  the  institu- 
tion has  excited  arises  solely  from  its  being  unknown  to  those  who 
ought  to  be,  and  doubtless  would  willingly  become,  its  generous 
guardians  and  powerful  protectors.  Had  it  been  so  attached  to 
the  Government  (its  real  and  only  parent)  as  to  be  always  with  it, 
always  in  sight,  and  always  in  the  way  of  its  fostering  care,  it 
would  probably  have  flourished  and  have  become  an  honorable  and 
interesting  appendage  to  the  national  family. 

"  The  question  recurs,  What  ought  to  be  done  ?  The  subscriber 
would  wish  the  answer  to  arise  out  of  the  nature  of  the  case,  and 
carry  with  it  a  demonstration  of  its  being  founded  in  the  most 
pure,  though  zealous,  regard  for  the  public  good.  Actuated  only 
by  such  motives,  and  without  the  stimulus  of  either  ambition  or 
interest,  he  begs  leave  to  state,  in  the  form  of  a  proposition,  what 
appear  to  him  to  be  the  natural  and  proper  remedies. 

"  First.  Let  the  Military  Academy  be  placed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  President  of  the  United  States  in  all  that  does  or  can 
relate  to  it,  anything  contained  in  any  former  laws  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding. 

"Second.  Let  an  academical  staff  be  created  in  manner  fol- 
lowing ;  and,  as  the  regulations  must  necessarily  be  military, 
let  the  professors,  when  not  of  army  rank,  take  that  of  their 
denominations  (as  relates  to  the  Academy  only)  in  the  manner  of 
brevets." 

Here  follows  an  outline  of  an  appropriate  academic 
and  professional  staff,  with  branches  to  be  taught  at  the 
Academy,  and  also  a  recommendation  that  certain  addi- 
tions be  made  to  the  corps  of  engineers.  The  report 
closes  as  follows : 


RECOMMENDA  TIONS  B  V  COL.  WILLIAMS.  2  I  7 

"It  will  appear  necessary  to  make,  in  the  first  instance,  an 
appropriation  for  the  proper  buildings,  apparatus,  library,  etc.; 
this  being  done  (and  it  should  be  remembered  that,  being 
once  well  done,  it  will  be  but  one  expense,  not  subject  to  repeti- 
tion), it  is  presumed  the  annual  appropriation  would  be  incon- 
siderable; it  might  indeed  be  so  connected  with  the  appropri- 
ation for  the  corps  of  engineers  that  all  the  surplusage  of  one 
would  fall  into  the  other,  and  the  extension  of  the  sum  would 
not  be  felt. 

"It  might  be  well  to  make  the  plan  upon  such  a  scale  as  not 
only  to  take  in  the  minor  officers  of  the  navy,  but  also  any  youths 
from  any  of  the  States  who  might  wish  for  such  an  education, 
whether  designed  for  the  army  or  navy,  or  neither,  and  to  let  these 
be  assessed  to  the  value  of  their  education,  which  might  form  a 
fund  for  extra  or  contingent  expenses.  On  this  plan  it  might  be 
proper  to  suppress  the  ration  system  while  the  students  are  at  the 
Academy,  and  oblige  all  but  commissioned  officers  to  board  in 
commons,  as  in  other  universities.  The  citizen-youth,  so  adopted, 
should  be  required  to  sign  the  articles  of  war  (for  the  time  being), 
since  it  would  be  impossible,  and  improper  if  it  were  possible,  to 
make  any  exceptions  to  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Academy. 
As  these  youths  grow  up  and  take  their  stations  in  society,  they 
would  naturally  become  militia  officers,  and  in  a  few  years,  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  events,  we  should  see  a  uniformity  in  our 
militia,  resulting  from  a  spirit  of  emulation,  which  the  reputation 
of  having  received  a  military  education  would  naturally  excite,  and 
the  same  duties  which  have  often  been  considered  a  burden  would 
become  a  pleasurable  privilege.  There  is  nothing  more  fascinating 
to  youth  than  excellence  in  arms,  and  a  little  knowledge  will  create 
a  desire  to  acquire  more. 

"  That  Congress  may  have  as  little  trouble  as  possible,  and  to 
avoid  a  frequent  recurrence  of  its  authority  on  matters  of  course, 
it  might,  perhaps,  be  expedient  to  pass  one  short  act,  naming  the 
additions  to  be  made  to  the  corps  of  engineers,  but  placing  the 
direction  of  the  Academy,  external  and  internal,  in  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  leaving  the  site,  the  buildings,  the  number 
and  kind  of  professors,  and  all  other  matters  connected  with  the 
institution,  entirely  to  his  judgment." 


2l8  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

No  new  legislation  grew  out  of  this  report,  nor  did 
Congress  consider  the  recommendation  to  remove  the 
Academy  to  the  city  of  Washington  and  place  it  under 
the  direction,  external  and  internal,  of  the  President  —  a 
recommendation  made  by  Colonel  Williams,  and  tacitly 
indorsed  by  Mr.  Jefferson.  A  perusal  of  the  report  will 
demonstrate  the  opposition  to  the  Academy,  and  the 
struggle  it  was  making  in  the  year  1808  for  a  precarious 
existence.  During  this  same  year  various  measures  were 
adopted  by  Congress  to  increase  numerically  our  military 
force,  as  well  as  to  add  to  its  efficiency.  Among  these 
measures  was  the  act  of  April  23,  "making  provision  for 
arming  and  equipping  the  whole  body  of  the  militia  of 
the  United  States;"  the  act  of  April  12,  "to  raise  for  a 
limited  time  an  additional  military  force ; "  the  act  of 
December  18,  1807,  "  appropriating  money  for  an  addi- 
tional number  of  gun-boats;  "  and  of  January  8,  1808,  "  to 
fortify  the  ports  and  harbors  of  the  United  States."  The 
period  in  which  Colonel  Williams'  report  was  submitted 
to  Congressional  consideration  was  one  of  activity  in  a 
military  way,  but  the  Academy  at  West  Point  failed  to 
secure  any  substantial  attention  at  that  time.  From  the 
earliest  effort  to  institute  this  special'  school,  two  chief 
objections  had  been  urged  against  it.  The  first  of  these 
related  to  a  doubt  of  the  constitutionality  of  the  measure  ; 
the  second,  to  the  perils  arising  from  such  an  institution 
to  a  free  government. 

In  his  message  of  December,  18 10,  President  Madison 
pays  special   attention  to  the  school  at  West   Point,  and 


EFFECT  OF  THE   WAR-CLOUD. 


219 


urges  a  revision  of  the  law  under  which  it  was  established, 
"  principally  with  a  view  to  a  more  enlarged  cultivation 
and  diffusion  of  the  advantages  of  such  institutions  by  pro- 
viding professorships  for  all  the  necessary  branches  of  mili- 
tary institutions,  and  by  the  establishment  of  an  additional 
academy  at  the  seat  of  government  or  elsewhere."  In 
the  following  year  the  President  again  called  the  attention 
of  the  slow-acting  Congress  to  the  subject  of  military  acad- 
emies. A  few  months  later  the  war-cloud,  which  had  been 
growing  more  and  more  threatening,  actually  burst,  the 
American  Congress  having,  upon  the  i8th  of  June,  181 2, 
formally  declared  war  to  exist  between  the  United  King- 
dom of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  the  dependencies 
thereof,  and  the  United  States  of  America  and  their 
territories. 

The  event  had  been  anticipated,  and  legislation 
looking  to  the  raising  of  troops,,  and  to  placing  the 
country  upon  an  immediate  war-footing,  had  been  in 
progress  for  several  months  previous  to  the  declaration 
of  hostilities.  In  this  time  of  military  excitement,  the 
Academy  at  West  Point  at  last  claimed  the  earnest  atten- 
tion of  Congress,  and  the  law  of  April  29,  181 2,  was 
passed.  This  act  may  be  said  to  constitute  the  true 
charter  of  the  institution  now  being  considered.  Pre- 
vious legislation  had  been  niggardly  in  character  and 
compass.  The  "foundling  among  the  mountains"  had 
been  dying  of  inanition.  Congress  had  been  importuned 
for  more  favorable  and  extended  legislation  by  the  early 
Presidents,  and  this  had  been  withheld,  until  the  child  lay 


2  20  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

at  the  very  point  of  death.  When,  however,  the  shrill 
voice  of  war  rang  through  the  land,  and  the  arming  of 
men  for  the  approaching  conflict  became  the  business 
of  the  day,  every  energy  was  spent  in  the  development  of 
the  military  resources  of  the  country.  The  Academy  at 
West  Point  was  remote  as  a  military  resource,  but  no 
one  knew  at  that  early  date  just  how  long  hostilities 
against  America's  hated  foe  and  would-be  oppressor  were 
to  last.  At  all  events,  the  emergency  justified  an  attempt 
to  bring  out  whatever  there  was  of  good  in  the  long- 
discussed  project  of  a  special  school  for  the  military 
training  and  education  of  officers  for  the  army.  Objec- 
tions were  brushed  away.  The  country  stood  face  to  face 
with  a  traditional  and  most  intensely  hated  enemy.  The 
dogs  of  war  were  to  be  slipped,  not  again  to  be  kenneled 
for  an  indefinite  length  of  time.  The  drilled  soldiers 
of  a  great  military  power — one  whose  every  territorial 
accession  had  come  through  the  mighty  force  of  its  ships, 
its  cannon,  and  its  conquering  hosts  of  hired  and  coerced 
soldiery  —  were  to  be  met  upon  fields  still  strewn  with 
the  remnants  of  the  first  struggle  for  freedom.  The 
Afnericaii  vohtnteer  was  there.  He  was  the  refuge  and 
hope  of  his  country.  But  if  there  were  really  an  amount 
of  good  preponderating  sufficiently  over  the  manifest 
danger  of  a  fixed  military  establishment,  then  let  it  be 
brought  out.  Let  air  be  breathed  into  the  starveling  at 
West  Point ;  let  nutriment  be  plentifully  supplied  to  it ;  and 
let  it  be  seen  whether  the  command,  "  Let  there  be  life," 
shall  be  responded  to  with  the  assurance  that  there  is  life. 


LA  IP    OF  A P JUL  2(),  1S12.  22  1 

The  law  above-mentioned  was  the  expression  of  the 
determination  to  supply  the  movement  with  the  condi- 
tions necessary  to  development.  It  is  the  sequel  of  the 
act  of  1802,  and  fitness  requires  that  it  should  also  find 
record  in  the  present  volume.     It  is  as  follows; 

"  I)e  it  enacted,  etc.,  That  there  be  added  to  the  corps  of  engi- 
neers two  captains,  two  first  lieutenants,  two  second  lieutenants, 
with  the  usual  pay  and  emoluments,  according  to  their  grades 
respectively,  and  one  paymaster,  to  be  taken  from  the  subalterns, 
with  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  regimental  paymaster;  and  that 
there  be  attached  to  the  said  corps,  either  from  the  troops  now  in 
service  or  by  new  enlistments,  as  the  President  of  the  United 
States  may  direct,  four  sergeants,  four  corporals,  one  teacher  of 
music,  four  musicians,  nineteen  artificers,  and  sixty-two  men,, 
which  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians,  artificers,  and  men, 
together  with  the  artificers  and  men  already  belonging  to  the  corps 
of  engineers,  shall  be  formed  into  a  company,  to  be  styled  a  com- 
pany of  bombardiers,  sappers,  and  miners,  and  be  officered  from 
the  corps  of  engineers,  according  as  the  commanding  officer  of  that 
corps  may,  with  the  approbation  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  direct;  and  the  said  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians, 
artificers,  and  men  shall  be  allowed  the  same  pay  and  emoluments 
as  are  allowed  to  the  non-commissioned  officers,  musicians,  artific- 
ers, and  men  in  the  regiment  of  artillerists. 

"  Section  2.  That  the  Military  Academy  shall  consist  of  the 
corps  of  engineers  and  the  following  professors,  in  addition  to  the 
teachers  of  the  French  language  and  drawing  already  provided, 
viz.:  One  professor  of  natural  and  experimental  philosophy,  with 
the  pay  and  emoluments  of  lieutenant-colonel,  if  not  an  officer  of 
the  corps,  and,  if  taken  from  the  corps,  then  so  much  in  addition 
to  his  pay  and  emoluments  as  shall  equal  those  of  a  lieutenant- 
colonel;  one  professor  of  mathematics,  with  the  pay  and  emolu- 
ments of  a  major  if  not  an  officer  of  the  corps,  and,  if  taken  from 
the  corps,  then  so  much  in  addition  to  his  pay  and  emoluments  as 
shall  equal  those  of  a  major;  one  professor  of  the  art  of  engineer- 
ing in  all  its  branches,  with  the  pay  and  emoluments  of  a  major  if 
not  an  officer  of  the  corps,  and,  if  taken  from  the  corps,  then  so 


2  22  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

much  in  addition  to  his  pay  and  emoluments  as  shall  equal  those 
of  a  major  —  each  of  the  foregoing  professors  to  have  an  assistant 
professor,  which  assistant  professor  shall  be  taken  from  the  most 
prominent  characters  of  the  officers  or  cadets,  and  receive  the  pay 
and  emoluments  of  captains,  and  no  other  pay  or  emoluments 
while  performing  these  duties:  Provided,  that  nothing  herein  con- 
tained shall  entitle  the  academical  staff,  as  such;  to  any  command 
in  the  army  separate  from  the  Academy. 

''  Sec.  3.  That  the  cadets  heretofore  appointed  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  whether  of  artillery,  cavalry,  riflemen,  or 
infantry,  or  that  may  in  future  be  appointed  as  hereinafter  pro- 
vided, shall  at  no  time  exceed  two  hundred  and  fifty  ;  that  they 
may  be  attached  at  the  discretion  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  as  students  to  the  Military  Academy  and  be  subject  to  the 
established  regulations  thereof  ;  that  they  shall  be  arranged  into 
companies  of  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates,  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  commandant  of  engineers,  and  be  officered 
from  the  said  corps  for  the  purposes  of  military  instruction  ;  that 
there  shall  be  added  to  each  company  of  cadets  four  musicians, 
and  the  said  corps  shall  be  trained  and  taught  all  the  duties  of  a 
private,  non-commissioned  officer,  and  officer,  be  encamped  at  least 
three  months  of  each  year  and  taught  all  the  duties  incident  to  a 
regular  camp  ;  that  the  candidates  for  cadets  be  not  under  the  age 
of  fourteen  nor  above  the  age  of  twenty-one  ;  that  each  cadet, 
previously  to  his  appointment  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  shall  be  well  versed  in  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  and 
that  he  shall  sign  articles,  with  the  consent  of  his  parent  or 
guardian,  by  which  he  shall  engage  to  serve  five  years  unless 
sooner  discharged,  and  all  such  cadets  shall  be  entitled  to  and 
receive  the  pay  and  emoluments  now  allowed  by  law  to  cadets  in 
the  corps  of  engineers. 

"  Sec.  4.  That  when  any  cadet  shall  receive  a  regular  degree 
from  the  academical  staff,  after  going  through  all  the  classes,  he 
shall  be  considered  as  among  the  candidates  for  a  commission  in 
any  corps,  according  to  the  duties  he  may  be  judged  competent  to 
perform,  and  in  case  there  shall  not  at  the  time  be  a  vacancy  in 
such  corps  he  may  be  attached  to  it  at  the  discretion  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  by  brevet  of  the  lowest  grade,  as  a 
supernumerary  officer,  with  the  usual  pay  and  emoluments  of  such 


REPORT  OF  BERNARD  AND  M'RAE.  2  2^ 

grade  until  a  vacancy  shall  happen  :  Provided,  That  there  shall  not 
be  more  than  one  supernumerary  oflficer  to  any  one  company  at  the 
same  time. 

"  Sec.  5.  That  the  sum  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  be, 
and  the  sum  is  hereby  appropriated,  to  be  paid  out  of  any  money 
in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated,  for  erecting  buildings 
and  for  providing  an  apparatus,  a  library,  and  all  necessary  imple- 
ments, and  for  such  contingent  expenses  as  may  be  necessary  and 
proper  in  the  judgment  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  for 
such  an  institution. 

"  Sec.  6.  That  so  much  of  the  26th  section  of  the  act  entitled 
'  An  Act  fixing  the  military  peace  establishment,'  passed  the  six- 
teenth day  of  March,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  two,  as  con- 
fines the  selection  .of  the  commander  of  the  corps  of  engineers  ta 
the  said  corps,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby  repealed." 

Although  the  passage  of  the  foregoing  law  failed  to 
infuse  vitality  immediately  into  the  school  at  West  Point, 
a  transformation  in  its  affairs  was  at  once  effected.  Full 
response  to  the  stimulus  was  slow,  however,  as  will 
appear  from  the  following  extract  from  a  report  of  Gen- 
eral Bernard  and  Colonel  McRae,  made  to  the  Secretary 
of  War  in  January,  1819.  This  report,  it  may  be 
observed,  was  devoted  to  the  advocacy  of  establishing  a 
school  of  practice,  as  a  supplementary  appendage  to  the 
Academy  itself,  the  latter  to  be  an  "elementary"  school, 
and  that  recommended  to  be  established  one  of  "appli- 
cation." 

''The  elementary  school  at  West  Point,"  says  the  report,  "has 
hitherto  been  very  inferior  as  such,  and  altogether  inadequate  to 
the  objects  for  which  it  was  established.  A  project  has  been  pre- 
sented, however,  calculated  to  place  this  school  upon  the  footing 
of  the  most  perfect  of  the  kind  which  exists.  As  to  a  school  of 
application,  there  is  none.  The  degree  of  instruction  given  to  the 
cadets  at  the  school  of  West  Point  has  heretofore  been  for  the 


224  "^^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

most  part  limited  to  a  general  acquaintance  with  those  branches 
of  knowledge  which  are  common  to  all  the  arms  of  an  army,  and 
which  ought  to  have  been  extended  and  applied  to  artillery,  fortifi- 
cation, and  topography. 

"The  consequence  has  been  that  the  officers  of  infantry,  artil- 
lery, engineers,  and  of  the  topographical  corps  have  had  the  same 
degree  and  kind  of  instruction;  and  the  only  real  difference  which 
existed  between  them  on  leaving  the  school  consisted  in  the  uni- 
form of  their  respective  corps  or  regiments.  If  any  have  been  so 
fortunate  as  to  render  themselves  serviceable  either  in  the  artillery  or  e7igi- 
neers,  the  cause  must  be  sought  for  in  their  own  indiistry.  and  7iot  in  the 
education  received  by  them  at  West  Point,  which  was  barely  sufficient  to 
■excite  a  desire  for  7?iilitary  inquiries  and  of  military  pursuits." 

The  author  has  taken  the  Hberty  to  ItaHcise  the  con- 
cluding sentence  of  the  above  quotation  as  being-  in 
strange  contrast  with  the  high-sounding  praises  of  the 
institution  which  had  reverberated  through  the  halls  of 
Congress  at  every  session  since  the  establishment  of  the 
school. 

President  Madison  himself  had  urged  upon  Congress 
not  alone  the  propriety  of  enlarging  and  improving  the 
Academy  at  West  Point,  but  also  the  expediency  of  estab- 
lishing others  in  different  sections  of  the  Union. 

In  the  year  1819,  the  then  Secretary  of  War,  Hon. 
John  C.  Calhoun,  in  a  communication  addressed  to  the 
chairman  of  the  House  Committee  on  Military  Affairs, 
strongly  recommended  an  additional  military  academy 
"to  be  placed  where  it  would  mutually  accommodate  the 
Southern  and  Western  portions  of  the  country,  which  are 
the  most  remote  from  the  present  institution." 

Notwithstanding  the  apparently  firm  position  which 
the  Military  Academy  had  now  gained  as  a  fixed  national 


ATTEMPTS  TO  ABOLISH  THE  ACADEMY.  225 

institution,  the  sentiment  of  opposition  to  it  continued  to 
exist,  and  even  to  gather  strength.  An  attempt  was 
made  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  in  February,  1821, 
to  abohsh  the  Academy.  This  purpose  was  sought  to  be 
accompHshed  under  cover  of  a  preHminary  resolution  of 
inquiry  into  the  constitutionaHty  of  the  laws  under  which 
the  school  existed,  and  of  a  subsequent  resolution  to  dis- 
continue the  pay  and  rations  of  the  cadets,  and  to  dis- 
charge them  from  the  Academy,  and  from  the  service  of 
the  United  States. 

As  late  as  the  year  1844,  this  opposition  made  a  very 
formidable  assault  upon  the  establishment.  The  Legis- 
latures of  New  Hampshire  and  Connecticut  memorialized 
Congress  in  that  year,  praying  for  its  abolition.  A  like 
attack  was  made  by  a  State  Military  Convention,  held  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  which  adopted  and  forwarded  to  Congress 
through  its  officers  a  series  of  strong  resolutions.  At  the 
same  time,  certain  citizens  of  Pomfret,  Conn.,  forwarded 
a  petition  asking  for  the  abolition  of  the  Academy  at 
West  Point. 

The  resolutions  of  the  New  Hampshire  Legislature 
contain  the  following  strong  statement,  among  others : 
"  Every  young  man,  unless  he  happen  to  be  one  of  the 
select  two  hundred  and  fifty  whom  executive  favor  has 
placed  in  this  public  charity  school,  is  utterly  and  forever 
excluded  from  holding  any  office  of  honor,  trust,  or 
emolument  in  the  military  service  of  our  country." 

The  burden  of  all  the  complaints  alluded  to  is  sum- 
marized by  the  committee  to  which  they  were  referred, 


226  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA, 

in  these  words:  "The  institution  is  aristocratic  and  anti- 
repubHcan ;  it  is  unnecessary,  expensive,  and  extravagant, 
and  different  in  all  its  features  from  what  was  originally 
designed."  The  report  of  the  House  Military  Com- 
mittee, which  was  made  by  Representative  Hamilton 
Fish,  on  May  15,  1844,  strongly  defends  the  Academy, 
and  seeks  to  refute  the  allegations  of  the  different  memo- 
rialists. 

These  attacks  constitute  the  last  formidable  move- 
ment looking  toward  the  abolition  of  the  institution. 
Under  a  law  of  Cono-ress  boards  of  visitors  have  been 
appointed  at  regular  intervals,  but,  generally  speaking, 
their  reports  have  been  favorable,  and  many  of  them  flat- 
tering to  the  school.  If  objections  have  been  made  or 
alterations  proposed,  they  have  more  particularly  related 
to  the  system  or  to  the  discipline  of  the  Academy.  The 
idea  involved  in  the  creation  of  the  institution  has  main- 
tained its  place  in  the  popular  opinion,  and  has  success- 
fully resisted  every  assault  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  This 
idea  is  subjected  to  two  chief  constructions :  the  one 
regarding  a  special  education  in  any  and  all  of  the  varied 
occupations  of  life  as  the  prime  essential  of  excellence  — 
the  summum  bonum  of  all  desire*;  and  the  other  looking 
upon  it  more  in  the  nature  of  a  basis  upon  which  an 
inherent  talent  or  fitness  may  rear  the  future  structure. 
The  first  of  these  represents  the  thing  itself ;  the  second,. 
an  auxiliary  of  the  thing.  The  preponderating  sentiment 
has  been,  and  now  is,  in  support  of  the  first  construction^ 
one    scarcely  less    pernicious    in    consequence   than   mi& 


pwr" 


SS 


The  Military  Academy  at  West  Point. 
I.  Cadets'  Mess  Hall.  2.   Fortifications  on  the  Hudson 


LEG/SLA  riON  CONCERNING  MILITAR  Y  A  CADEM  Y.        2  2/ 

taken  in  conception.  Within  the  healthful  limits  of  the 
second  are  to  be  found  safety  and  the  road  to  high 
achievements  and  brilliancy  of  results. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  institution  up  to  a  very 
recent  period  its  friends  have  not  been  bashful  in  claim- 
ing such  legislation,  from  time  to  time,  as  appeared  to 
them  essential  to  the  success  of  the  project.  The  legisla- 
tion in  its  favor  has  been  orenerous,  no  reasonable  sufrores- 
tion  having  been  ignored  nor  proper  demand  refused. 

It  does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  the  present  volume 
to  go  into  a  description  of  the  school  at  West  Point,  nor 
to  detail  the  discipline,  branches  and  course  of  study,  etc. 
Those  desiring  such  information  will  find  it  easily  accessi- 
ble. The  present  purpose,  so  far  as  it  has  to  deal  with 
the  subject  of  military  education  m  the  United  States, 
will  be  sufficiently  subserved  by  adding  to  what  has 
already  been  written  in  the  preceding  pages  a  mention  of 
the  principal  acts  of  legislation  in  relation  to  the  school, 
together  with  a  synopsis  of  such  existing  law  as  may  be  of 
more  particular  interest  to  the  reader. 

The  several  acts  of  Congress  bearing  more  or  less 
directly  upon  the  institution  which  have  been  passed  sub- 
sequently to  the  act  of  April  29,  181 2,  are  as  follows: 

Act  of  March  3,  1815,  "Fixing  the  military  peace  estab- 
hshment  of  the  United  States  ;"  act  of  April  4,  1818,  "Regulating 
the  staff  of  the  army;"  act  of  March  2,  1821,  "To  reduce  and  fix 
the  military  peace  establishment  of  the  United  States  ;"  act  of  July 
5,  1838,  "To  increase  the  present  military  establishment  of  the 
United  States,  and  for  other  purposes  ;"  act  of  July  20,  1840,  "To 
provide   for   the  support  of   the  Military  Academy  for  the  year 


2  28  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

eighteen  hundred  and  forty;"  act  of  August  23,  1842,  "Respect- 
ing the  organization  of  the  army,  and  for  other  purposes  ;"  act  of 
March  i,  1843,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the 
army  and  of  the  Military  Academy,  etc.,  etc.,  for  the  fiscal  year 
ending  the  thirtieth  of  June,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
forty-four  ;"  act  of  March  3,  1845,  "Making  appropriations  for  the 
support  of  the  Military  Academy  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth 
of  June,  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-six;"  act  of  May  15,  1846, 
"  For  the  organization  of  a  company  of  sappers,  miners,  and  pon- 
toniers  ;"  act  of  August  8,  1846,  "  Making  appropriations  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  Military  Academy  for  the  year  ending  on  the  thirtieth 
of  June,  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-seven;"  act  of  February  19, 
1849,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  Militar)'-  Acad- 
emy for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of  June,  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  ;"  act  of  September  16,  1850,  "Making  appropria- 
tions for  the  support  of  the  Military  Academy  for  the  year  ending  the 
thirtieth  of  June,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-one;  "  act 
of  September  28, 1850  making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the 
army  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of  June,  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-one;"  act  of  March  3,  185 1,  "Making  appropria- 
tions for  the  support  of  the  Military  Academy  for  the  3rear  ending 
the  thirtieth  of  June,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-two;  " 
act  of  August  6,  1852,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  support  of 
the  Military  Academy  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of  June, 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fift3^-three,  and  for  other  pur- 
poses; "  act  of  May  10,  1854,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  Military  Axcademy  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of 
June,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty-five,"  act  of  March  3, 
1855,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  Military 
Academy  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of  June,  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-six;"  act  of  April  23,  1856,  "Making  ap- 
propriations for  the  support  of  the  Military  Academy  for  the  year 
ending  the  thirtieth  of  June,  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-seven; " 
act  of  February  16,  1857,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  support 
of  the  Military  Academy  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of  June, 
eighteen  hundred  and  fifty-eight;"  act  of  March  3,  1857,  "To  in- 
crease the  pay  of  the  cadets  at  the  West  Point  Academy;"  act  of 
June  12,  1858,  "Making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  army 
for  the  year  ending  the   thirtieth  of  June,  eighteen  hundred  and 


LA  WS  GO  VENNING  MI  LI  TA  R  Y  A  CA  DEM  V.  229 

fifty-nine;"  act  of  June  21,  i860,  "Making  appropriations  for  the 
support  of  the  army  for  the  year  ending  the  thirtieth  of  June,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-one,  "  act  of  August  3,  1861, 
"  Providing  for  the  better  organization  of  the  military  establish- 
ment;" act  of  August  6,  1861,  *'To  promote  the  efficiency  of  the 
engineer  and  the  topographical  engineer  corps,  and  for  other  pur- 
poses;" act  of  August  6,  1861,  "  To  authorize  an  increase  in  the 
corps  of  engineers  and  topographical  engineers  ;"  act  of  July  2, 
1862,  "To  prescribe  an  oath  of  office,  and  for  other  purposes;" 
act  of  March  3,  1863,  "To  promote  the  efficiency  of  the  corps  of 
engineers  and  of  the  ordnance  department,  and  for  other  pur- 
poses;" act  of  July  2,  1864;  act  of  June  8,  1866;  act  of  June  16, 
1866;  act  of  July  13,  1866;  act  of  February  28,  1867;  act  of  March 
16,  1868;  act  of  February  21,  1870;  act  of  July  15,  1870;  act  of 
February  28,  1873;  act  of  March  3,  1873;  act  of  March  3,  1875,  act 
of  August  7,  1876;  act  of  June  11,  1878;  act  of  June  18,  1878,  act 
of  June  23,  1879,  etCc 

A  synopsis  of  the  laws  governing  the  MiHtary  Acad- 
emy will  furnish  ample  information  as  to  such  points  as 
are  of  interest  to  the  general  reader.  This  synopsis  is 
taken  from  the  Revised  Statutes  of  the  United  States, 
1878: 

"  The  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  shall  be  constituted  as  follows:  There  shall 
be  one  superintendent;  one  commandant  of  cadets;  one  senior 
instructor  in  the  tactics  of  artillery;  one  senior  instructor  in  the 
tactics  of  cavalry;  one  senior  instructor  in  the  tactics  of  infantry; 
one  professor  and  one  assistant  professor  of  civil  and  militarj^ 
engineering;  one  professor  and  one  assistant  professor  of  natural 
and  experimental  philosophy;  one  professor  and  one  assistant  pro- 
fessor of  mathematics;  one  chaplain,  who  shall  also  be  professor  of 
history,  geography,  and  ethics,  and  one  assistant  professor  of  the 
same;  one  professor  and  one  assistant  professor  of  chemistry,  min- 
eralogy, and  geology;  one  professor  and  one  assistant  professor  of 
drawing;  one  professor  and  one  assistant  professor  of  the  French 
language;  one  professor  and  one  assistant  professor  of  the  Spanish 


230  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

language;  one  adjutant;  one  master  of  the  sword,  and  one  teacher 
of  music. 

"  The  superintendent  and  the  commandant  of  cadets,  while 
serving  as  such,  shall  have,  respectively,  the  local  rank  of  colonel 
and  lieutenant-colonel  of  engineers. 

"The  superintendent,  and  in  his  absence  the  next  in  rank, 
shall  have  the  immediate  government  and  military  command  of  the 
Academy,  and  shall  be  the  commandant  of  the  military  post  of 
West  Point. 

"  The  commandant  of  cadets  shall  have  the  immediate  com- 
mand of  the  battalion  of  cadets,  and  shall  be  instructor  in  the  tac- 
tics of  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry. 

'^The  superintendent  and  the  commandant  of  cadets  and  the 
professors  shall  be  appointed  by  the  President.  The  assistant  pro- 
fessors, acting  assistant  professors,  and  the  adjutant  shall  be 
officers  of  the  army,  detailed  and  assigned  to  such  duties  by  the 
Secretary  of  War,  or  cadets,  assigned  by  the  superintendent  under 
the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  War, 

"The  superintendent  and  commandant  of  cadets  may  be 
selected,  and  all  other  officers  on  duty  at  the  Academy  may  be 
detailed  from  any  arm  of  the  service;  but  the  academic  staff,  as 
such,  shall  not  be  entitled  to  any  command  in  the  army  separate 
from  the  Academy. 

"  The  corps  of  cadets  shall  consist  of  one  from  each  Congres- 
sional district,  one  from  each  Territory,  one  from  the  District  of 
Columbia,  and  ten  from  the  United  States  at  large.  They  shall  be 
appointed  by  the  President,  and  shall,  with  the  exception  of  the  ten 
cadets  appointed  at  large,  be  actual  residents  of  the  Congressional 
or  Territorial  districts,  or  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  respectively, 
from  which  they  purport  to  be  appointed. 

"No  person  who  has  served  in  any  capacity  in  the  military  or 
naval  service  of  the  so-called  Confederate  States,  or  of  either  of  the 
States  in  insurrection  during  the  late  Rebellion,  shall  be  appointed 
a  cadet. 

"  Cadets  shall  be  appointed  one  year  in  advance  of  the  time  of 
their  admission  to  the  Academy,  except  in  cases  where,  by  reason 
of  death  or  other  cause,  a  vacancy  occurs  which  cannot  be  pro- 
vided for  by  such  appointment  in  advance;  but  no  pay  or  other 
allowance  shall  be  given  to  any  appointee  until  he  shall  have  been 


OA  77/  REQUIRED  OE  CADETS.  23  I 

regularly  admitted,  as  herein  provided;  and  all  appointments  shall 
be  conditional  until  such  provisions  shall  have  been  complied  with. 

"Appointees  shall  be  admitted  to  the  Academy  only  between 
the  ages  of  seventeen  and  twenty-two  years,  except  in  the  follow- 
ing case:  Any  person  who  has  served  honorably  and  faithfully  not 
less  than  one  year  in  either  the  volunteer  or  regular  service  of  the 
United  States,  in  the  late  war  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebellion, 
and  who  possesses  the  other  qualifications  required  by  law,  may  be 
admitted  between  the  ages  of  seventeen  and  twenty-four  years. 

"Appointees  shall  be  examined  under  regulations  to  be  pre- 
scribed from  time  to  time  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  before  they 
shall  be  admitted  to  the  Academy,  and  shall  be  required  to  be  well 
versed  in  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  and  to  have  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  elements  of  English  grammar,  of  descriptive  geogra- 
phy, particularly  that  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  history  of 
the  United  States. 

''Each  cadet  shall,  previous  to  his  admission  to  the  Academy, 
take  and  subscribe  an  oath  or  affirmation  in  the  following  terms: 

"  *I,  A.  B.,  do  solemnly  swear  that  I  will  support  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States,  and  bear  true  allegiance  to  the  National 
Government;  that  I  will  maintain  and  defend  the  sovereignty  of 
the  United  States,  paramount  to  any  and  all  allegiance,  sover- 
eignty or  fealty  I  may  owe  to  any  State,  county  or  country  what- 
soever, and  that  I  will  at  all  times  obey  the  legal  orders  of  my 
superior  officers,  and  the  rules  and  articles  governing  the  armies 
of  the  United  States.' 

"And  any  cadet  or  candidate  for  admission  who  shall  refuse  to 
take  this  oath  shall  be  dismissed  from  the  service. 

"Each  cadet  shall  sign  articles  with  the  consent  of  his  parents 
or  guardians,  if  he  be  a  minor,  and  if  any  he  have,  by  which  he 
shall  engage  to  serve  eight  years,  unless  sooner  discharged. 

"The  corps  of  cadets  shall  be  arranged  into  companies,  accord- 
ing to  the  directions  of  the  superintendent,  each  of  which  shall  be 
commanded  by  an  officer  of  the  army,  for  the  purpose  of  military 
instruction.  To  each  company  shall  be  added  four  musicians. 
The  corps  shall  be  taught  and  trained  in  all  the  duties  of  a  private 
soldier,  non-commissioned  officer,  and  officer,  shall  be  encamped  at 
least  three  months  in  each  year,  and  shall  be  taught  and  trained  in 
all  the  duties  incident  to  a  regular  camp. 


232  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

"Cadets  shall  be  subject  at  all  times  to  do  duty  in  such  places 
and  on  such  service  as  the  President  may  direct. 

'■'■  The  Secretary  of  War  shall  so  arrange  the  course  of  studies 
of  the  Academy  that  the  cadets  shall  not  be  required  to  pursue 
their  studies  on  Sunday. 

'*No  cadet  who  is  reported  as  deficient  in  either  conductor 
studies,  and  recommended  to  be  discharged  from  the  Academy, 
shall,  unless  upon  recommendation  of  the  academic  board,  be 
returned  or  reappointed,  or  appointed  to  any  place  in  the  army, 
before  his  class  shall  have  left  the  Academy  and  received  their 
commissions. 

"The  superintendent  of  the  Military  Academy  shall  have 
power  to  convene  general  courts-martial  for  the  trial  of  cadets, 
and  to  execute  the  sentence  of  such  courts,  except  the  sentences 
of  suspension  and  dismission,  subject  to  the  same  limitations  and 
conditions  now  existing  as  to  other  general  courts-martial. 

"There  shall  be  appointed  every  year,  in  the  following  manner, 
a  board  of  visitors  to  attend  the  annual  examination  of  the  Acad- 
emy: Seven  persons  shall  be  appointed  by  the  President,  and  two 
Senators  and  three  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  shall 
be  designated  as  visitors,  by  the  Vice-President,  or  President  pro 
tempore  of  the  Senate,  and  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, respectively,  at  the  session  of  Congress  next  preceding 
such  examination. 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  board  of  visitors  to  inquire  into 
the  actual  state  of  the  discipline,  instruction,  police  administration, 
fiscal  affairs,  and  other  concerns  of  the  Academy.  The  visitors 
appointed  by  the  President  shall  report  thereon  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,  for  the  information  of  Congress,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
session  next  succeeding  such  examination,  and  the  Senators  and 
Representatives  designated  as  visitors  shall  report  to  Congress, 
within  twenty  days  after  the  meeting  of  the  session  next  succeed- 
ing the  time  of  their  appointment,  their  action  as  such  visitors, 
with  their  views  and  recommendations  concerning  the  Academy. 

No  compensation  shall  be  made  to  the  members  of  said 
board  beyond  the  payment  of  their  expenses  for  board  and  lodging 
while  at  the  Academy,  and  an  allowance,  not  to  exceed  eight  cents 
a  mile,  for  traveling  by  the  shortest  mail  route  from  their  respec- 
tive homes  to  the  Academy  and  thence  to  their  homes. 


THE  AXNUAI.  PA  Y  OF  CADETS.  233 

"  Leave  of  absence  may  be  granted  by  the  superintendent, 
under  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  the  pro- 
fessors, assistant  professors,  instructors,  and  other  officers  of  the 
Academy,  for  the  entire  period  of  the  suspension  of  the  ordinary 
academic  studies,  without  deduction  from  pay  or  allowances 

"The  supervision  and  charge  of  the  Academy  shall  be  in  the 
War  Department,  under  such  officer  or  officers  as  the  Secretary  of 
War  may  assign  to  that  duty. 

"The  Secretary  of  the  Senate  shall  furnish  annually  to  the 
library  of  the  Academy  one  cop)^  of  each  document  published  dur- 
ing the  preceding  )^ear  by  the  Senate. 

"The  professors  of  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  are 
placed  on  the  same  footing,  as  to  retirement  from  active  service,  as 
officers  of  the  army. 

"  The  superintendent  of  the  Military  Academy  shall  have  the 
pay  of  a  colonel,  and  the  commandant  of  cadets  shall  have  the  pay 
of  a  lieutenant-colonel. 

"The  adjutant  of  the  Military  Academy  shall  have  the  pay  of 
an  adjutant  of  a  cavalry  regiment. 

"Each  of  the  professors  of  the  Military  Academy  whose  str- 
vice  at  the  Academy  exceeds  ten  years  shall  have  the  pay  and 
allowances  of  lieutenant-colonels;  and  the  instructors  of  ordnance 
and  science  of  gunnery  and  practical  engineering  shall  have  the 
pay  and  allowances  of  major;  and  hereafter  there  shall  be  allowed 
and  paid  to  the  said  professors  ten  per  centum  of  their  current 
yearly  pay  for  each  and  every  term  of  five  years'  service  in  the 
army  and  at  the  Academy:  Provided,  That  such  addition  shall  in 
no  case  exceed  forty  per  centum  of  said  yearly  pay;  and  said  pro- 
fessors are  hereby  placed  upon  the  same  footing,  as  regards  restric- 
tions upon  pa}'  and  retirement  from  active  service,  as  officers  of 
the  army. 

"  Each  assistant  professor  and  each  senior  assistant  instructor 
of  cavalry,  artillerj'-,  and  infantry  tactics  {a7id  the  instructor  of  prac- 
tical military  engineering)  shall  receive  the  pay  of  a  captain. 

"  The  master  of  the  sword  at  the  Military  Academy  shall 
receive  pay  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  a  year,  with  fuel 
and  quarters. 

"  Cadets  of  the  Military  Academy  shall  receive  five  hundred 
dollars  a  year  and  one  ration  a  day. 


234  ^-^-^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"  The  librarian  and  assistant  librarian  at  the  Military  Academy 
shall  receive  one  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  a  year  additional  pay. 

"  The  non-commissioned  officers  in  charge  of  mechanics  and 
other  labor  at  the  Military  Academy,  the  soldier  acting  as  clerk  in 
the  adjutant's  office,  and  the  four  enlisted  men  in  the  philosophical 
and  chemical  departments  and  lithographic  office,  shall  receive  fifty 
dollars  a  year  additional  pay." 

The  important  legislation  relating  to  the  officers  of 
the  Acaderny,  enacted  since  the  publication  of  the  fore- 
going resume,  may  be  more  fully  quoted  as  follows : 

From  ''An  act  making  appropriations  for  the  Military  Academy 
for  the  year  ending  June  3c,  1879,"  approved  June  11,  1878  : 

*  *  *  "  Sec.  2.  That  appointments  of  civilians,  except  such 
as  are  regular  graduates  of  the  United  States  Military  Academy  who 
have  been  honorably  discharged  from  the  service,  to  be  second 
lieutenants  in  any  of  the  regiments  of  the  army,  shall  be  made  in 
time  of  peace  only  when  more  vacancies  exist  in  the  army  than 
Wll  be  required  in  the  assignment  of  the  next  graduating  class  of 
cadets  at  the  United  States  Military  Academy  ;  Provided^  nothing 
herein  shall  prevent  the  appointment  for  a  commission  in  the  army 
of  meritorious  non-commissioned  officers  or  private  soldiers. 

"Sec  3.  That  from  and  after  July  first,  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  eighty-two,  only  such  number  of  the  graduates  of  the 
United  States  Military  Academy  in  any  one  year  shall  be  entitled 
to  appointments  as  second  lieutenants  in  the  arm)?'  as  are  required 
to  fill  vacancies  of  that  grade  existing  on  the  first  day  of  July  in 
each  year,  those  entitled  to  appointment  to  said  vacancies  to  be 
determined  by  the  academic  board  on  the  basis  of  their  standing 
in  the  graduating  class.  And  hereafter  no  supernumerary  officers 
shall  be  attached  to  any  company  or  corps  of  the  army,  and  all 
graduates  of  the  Military  Academy  who  are  not  appointed  to  the 
army  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  be  discharged  upon  the 
graduation  of  their  class. 

"  Sec  4.  That  the  cadets  at  large  at  the  Military  Academy 
shall  not  hereafter  exceed  ten  in  all,  and  no  new  appointments  at 
large  shall  be  made  until  the  number  of  such  cadets  heretofore 
appointed  fall  below  ten.  But  this  provision  shall  not  be  held  to 
require  the  discharge  of  any  cadet  heretofore  appointed." 


CIVIL  APPOINTMENTS  TO   THE  ARMY.  235 

From  "An  act  making  provision  for  the  support  of  the  army  for 
the  year  ending  June  30,  1879, "  approved  June  18,  1878  : 

"  Sec.  3.  That  hereafter  all  vacancies  in  the  grade  of  second 
lieutenant  shall  be  filled  by  appointment  from  the  graduates  of 
the  Military  Academy,  so  long  as  any  such  remain  in  service  unas- 
signed,  and  any  vacancies  thereafter  remaining  shall  be  filled  by 
promotion  of  meritorious  non-commissioned  officers  of  the  army, 
recommended  under  the  provisions  of  the  next  section  of  this  act : 
Provided^  That  all  vacancies  remaining  after  exhausting  the  two 
classes  named  may  be  filled  by  appointments  of  persons  in  civil 
life. 

"Sec.  4.  That  to  insure  the  selection  of  proper  candidates  for 
promotion  from  the  grade  of  non-commissioned  officers,  company 
and  batter)''  commanders  will  report  to  their  regimental  command- 
ers such  as,  in  their  opinion,  by  education,  conduct,  and  services, 
seem  to  merit  advancement,  and  who  have  served  not  less  than  two 
years  in  the  army;  the  reports  to  set  forth  a  description  of  the  can- 
didatCy  his  length  of  service  as  non-commissioned  officer  and  as 
private  soldier,  his  character  as  to  fidelity  and  sobriety,  his 
physical  qualifications  and  mental  abilities,  the  extent  to  which  his 
talents  have  been  cultivated,  and  his  fitness  generally  to  discharge 
the  duties  of  a  commissioned  officer.  If  recommended  on  account 
of  his  meritorious  services,  the  particular  services  referred  to  must 
be  stated  in  detail.  On  receiving  the  reports  of  company  or  bat- 
tery commanders,  the  regimental  commander  will  forward  the 
same  to  the  department  commanders,  with  such  recommendation 
of  non-commissioned  regimental  staff  as  he  may  deem  worthy  of 
promotion;  and  the  departmental  commander  shall  annually  assem- 
ble a  board  to  consist  of  five  officers  of  as  high  rank  as  the  conven- 
ience of  the  service  will  admit,  to  make  a  preliminary  examina- 
tion into  the  claims  and  qualifications  of.  such  non-commissioned 
officers.  The  board,  constituted  as  above,  shall  submit  a  full 
statement  in  the  case  of  each  candidate  examined,  and  on  the  said 
statements  the  department  commander  shall  indorse  his  remarks 
and  forward  them  to  the' Secretary  of  War  by  the  first  day  of  June 
in  each  year.  The  Chief  of  Engineers  and  of  other  staff  corps  may 
make  similar  recommendations  of  the  non-commissioned  officers  of 
their  respective  commands  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  shall  con- 
'vene  a  board  of  officers  for  like  purpose." 


236  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

From  "An  act  making  appropriations  for  the  support  of  the  army 
for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1880,"  approved  June  23,  1879: 
"  Sec.  5.  That  each  member  of  the  graduating  classes  of  the 
Military  Academy  of  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-nine 
and  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty,  after  graduation  may 
elect,  with  the  assent  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  to  receive  the  gross 
sum  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  mileage  to  his  place  of 
residence;  and  the  acceptance  of  this  gross  sum  shall  render  him 
ineligible  to  appointment  in  the  army,  except  in  the  event  of  war, 
until  two  years  after  his  graduation,  and  the  amount  required  to 
defray  the  expenditure  herein  provided  for  shall  be  paid  out 
of  any  money  in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated." 

From  the  first  tv^o  acts  above  quoted,  it  will  be  seen 
that  in  times  of  war  and  peace  no  vacancy  in  the  grade 
of  second  lieutenant  in  the  army  can  be  filled  by  appoint- 
ment from  civil  life  until  after  the  list  of  graduates  from 
the  Military  Academy  and  of  meritorious  non-commis- 
sioned officers  shall  have  been  exhausted.  The  author 
states  in  both  war  and  peace,  because,  although  the  first  of 
the  two  acts  prescribes  the  right  of  appointment  of  a 
civilian  in  time  of  peace  after  the  graduated  classes  shall 
have  been  exhausted,  yet  the  subsequent  act  is  sweeping 
in  character,  and,  being  later  in  date,  repeals  by  implica- 
tion all  anterior  legislation  in  conflict  with  its  provisions. 
From  these  examples  of  legislation  the  reader  may  begin 
to  realize  the  tendency  and  power  of  an  institution  that 
has  gradually  fastened  its  hold  upon  the  military  resources 
of  the  country  until  it  has  become  a  piece  of  machinery 
of  dangerous  possibilities. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

FINANCIAL    ASPECT  OF    THE    ACADEMY    AT  WEST    POINT EX- 
PENDITURES FROM  THE  YEAR   l802   TO  THE  YEAR   1 886 

INTERESTING     STATISTICS  POPULATION     OF     NORTHERN 

AND  SOUTHERN  STATES,  IN   181O  AND   1860 THE  NAMES, 

TOTAL  NUMBER,  AND  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES  OF  RESI- 
DENCE OF   THE  CADETS  ADMITTED  FROM   l8o2  TO   1 86 1 

THE  HIGH-CLASS  GRADUATES  OF  THE  ACADEMY  FROM 
1802  TO  1861 THE  SUPERINTENDENCY  OF  THE  ACAD- 
EMY    WEST  POINT  A  MILITARY  DEPARTMENT MIS- 
TAKES   OF    THE    GOVERNMENT. 

IT  is  the  purpose  of  the  author  to  close  the  history  of 
the  rise  and  growth  of  the  mihtary  school  at  West 
Point  with  a  statement  of  the  expense  of  the  institution 
to  the  Government,  and  with  certain  tabular  statements 
designed  to  form  a  basis  for  future  observations. 

And  first  as  to  the  financial  feature  of  the  establish- 
ment 

The  ground  embraced  within  the  West  Point  reserva- 
tion belongs  to  the  United  States  Government.  The 
tract  is  constituted  of  an  area  of  2,105  a-cres  of  land,  as 
stated  by  Captain  Boynton,  in  the  work  heretofore 
quoted  from  in  the  present  volume.  The  English  Gov- 
ernment   originally   granted    the    land    to   Captain    John 

Evans,  who  subsequently  vacated  it,  when  it  reverted  to 

237 


22)S  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

the  grantor.  The  land  embraced  within  the  original 
grant  was  afterward  conveyed  by  royal  letters-patent  to 
two  different  individuals,  Charles  Congreve  and  John 
Moore.  The  latter  owner  subsequently  purchased  the 
tract  granted  to  the  former,  and  thus  became  sole  owner 
of  the  entire  grant.  Upon  the  death  of  Moore,  the 
property  descended  by  inheritance  to  his  son,  Stephen 
Moore,  of  Caswell  County,  N.  C. 

As  the  land  had  been  occupied  by  the  Government 
from  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  Moore 
petitioned  the  Government,  in  the  year  1 790,  to  purchase. 
it  of  him.  The  petition  was  referred  by  the  House  of 
Representatives  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  for  con- 
sideration. That  officer — Alexander  Hamilton  —  made 
a  communication  to  the  House,  under  date  of  June  3, 
1790,  in  which  he  advised  "the  purchase  of  so  much  of 
the  tract  of  land  called  West  Point  as  shall  be  judged 
requisite  for  the  purpose  of  such  fortifications  and  garri- 
sons as  may  be  necessary  for  the  defense  of  the  same," 
accompanying  the  recommendation  with  a  quotation  and 
indorsement  of  the  opinions  of  General  Knox  as  to  the 
natural  advantages  of  the  locality  for  the  defense  of  the 
Hudson  River.  These  advantages  have  already  been  set 
forth  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  work. 

Under  an  act  of  Congress  approved  July  5,  1790,  the 
purchase  of  both  patents  held  by  Moore  was  effected  in 
the  following  September,  by  the  payment  of  the  sum 
of  $11,085.  ^  further  tract  of  land  was  purchased  by 
the  Government  from  Oliver  Gridlev.  under  act  of  Con- 


COST  OF  WEST  POINT  RESERVATION.  239 

gress,  in  May,  1824,  for  the  sum  of  $10,000.  The  Gov- 
ernment was  annoyed,  for  a  number  of  years  after  the 
first  effort  to  acquire  sufficient  land  by  purchase,  by  the 
claims  of  divers  individuals,  based  upon  various  pretexts 
of  personal  right  or  ownership.  A  final  survey  was  made, 
under  direction  of  the  Government,  in  the  year  1839,  ^'^^ 
the  boundaries' of  the  Government  property  were  then 
definitely  settled. 

By  reference  to  the  report  of  Secretary  Mc Henry 
submitted  to  Congress  under  date  of  January  31,  1800, 
recommending  a  plan  for  the  establishment  of  a  Military 
Academy,  which  report  has  been  quoted  entire  in  a  pre- 
ceding chapter,  the  reader  will  be  struck  with  the  modest 
estimate  of  the  expense  of  the  establishment  made  by 
that  worthy  official.  The  total  salaries  of  teachers  in  the 
two  schools  suggested  by  him  —  the  Fundamental  School 
and  the  School  of  Artillerists  and  Engineers  —  footed  up 
to  the  insignificant  total  of  $10,489.20  annually,  while 
the  estimated  cost  of  buildings  amounted  to  $38,846, 
upon  the  plan  of  one  architect,  and  to  $80,000  upon 
the  plan  of  another.  Since  that  day  the  population  of 
the  United  States  has  increased  from  six  million  to  about 
fifty-two  million  people,  an  increase  that  may  be  approx- 
imately stated  to  be  as  one  to  eight  and  one-half. 

It  is  no  less  instructive  than  interestingly  suggestive 
to  follow  the  bill  of  annual  expense  attached  to  the  insti- 
tution from  its  modest  beginning  to  its  present  state  of 
completeness  and  luxury.  The  following  figures  are 
taken  from  the  annual  appropriation   bills   of   Congress, 


240  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA, 

and,  while  not  critically  accurate- — no  account  having 
been  taken  of  sums  in  cents  —  they  are  substantially  cor- 
rect, and  can  be  relied  upon  for  purposes  of  quotation. 

The  total  appropriation  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment upon  account  of  the  Military  Academy  from  its  cre- 
ation by  act  of  March  16,  1802,  up  to  and  inclusive  of 
June  30,  1843,  has  been  computed  by  Captain  Edward  C. 
Boynton,  in  his  **  History  of  West  Point."  This  compu- 
tation is  made  to  cover  amounts  paid  for  the  purchase  of 
the  lands  ;  for  the  construction  of  roads,  v^^harves,  fences, 
water  and  gas-works ;  for  the  purchase  of  library,  maps, 
instruments,  philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus,  models 
in  engineering  and  drawing ;  purchase  of  minerals ;  grad- 
ing ground,  etc.,  etc.;  and  for  the  pay  and  subsistence  of 
officers,  professors,  teachers,  and  cadets ;  for  fuel  and 
stationery  ;  transportation  of  material ;  stores ;  postage ; 
expenses  of  boards  of  visitors ;  adjutant  and  quarter- 
master's clerks,  and  contingent  and  incidental  expenses. 
The  estimate  embraces  a  period  of  forty-one  years,  or, 
as  before  said,  from  March  16,  1802,  to  June  30,  1843. 
The  same  items  are  covered  in  the  subsequent  annual 
appropriations  as  given  below.     The  exhibit  stands  thus  : 

Table  I. 

Amounts  appi'Opriated  annually  for  the  Military  Academy,  from  March 
16,  1802,  to  ftinc  30,  1886; 

From  1802  to  1843  (a 
period  of  41  years)^ 
From  1843  to  1845  •  • 
From  1845  to  1846  . . 
From  1846  to  1847  . . 


From  1847  to  1848  .  .\ 

\      124,906 

4,002,901 

From  1848  to  1849  . . 

143,472 

116,845 

From  1849  to  1850  .. 

171,294 

138,049 

From  1850  to  1851  . . 

202,535 

123,976 

From  1 85 1  to  1852  . . 

130028 

TOTAL  EXPENSE  OF  MILITARY  ACADEMY. 


241 


From 

1852  to 

1853 . 

•  $    130,050 

From 

1 87 1  to 

IS72  . 

■%      316,269 

From 

T853  to 

1854 . 

150,253 

From 

1872  to 

1873  • 

327,100 

From 

1854  to 

1855  • 

161,281 

From 

1873  to 

1874 . 

332,562 

From 

1855  to 

1856 . 

146,940 

From 

1874  to 

1875  • 

349,765 

From 

1856  to 

1857  • 

158,894 

From 

1875  to 

1876  . 

354,740 

From 

1857  to 

1858 . 

161,179 

From 

1876  to 

1877 . 

292,365 

From 

1858  to 

1859 . 

182,804 

From 

1877  to 

1878  . 

287,166 

From 

1859  to 

i860  . 

179,588 

From 

1878  to 

1879  . 

290,632 

From 

i860  to 

I86I  . 

183,796 

From 

1879  to 

1880  . 

320,309 

From 

1861  to 

1862  . 

184,337 

From 

1880  to 

I88I  . 

323,834 

From 

1862  to 

1863 . 

156,211 

From 

1881  to 

1882  . 

323,328 

From 

1863  to 

1864  . 

183,394 

From 

1882  to 

1883 . 

335,296 

From 

1864  to 

1865 . 

201,217 

From 

1883  to 

1884  . 

289,687 

From 

1865  to 

1866  . 

257,504 

From 

1884  to 

1885 . 

314,263 

From 

1866  to 

1867  . 

201,457 

From 

1885  to 

1886  . 

309,921 

From 

1867  to 

1868  . 

362,913 

From 

1868  to 

1869  . 

276,291 

Total   expense   of 

From 

1869  to 

1870  . 

274,488 

the  Academy 

to  June 

From 

1870  to 

I87I  . 

314,869 

30,   1886 

.$13,789,199 

It  may  be  here  remarked  that  in  the  appropriation 
bill  for  1878  and  1879  ^^  amount  of  the  cadet  salary 
was  fixed  at  $540  per  year,  at  which  figure  it  has  since 
remained. 

Thus  it  will  appear  that  the  total  cost  to  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Academy  at  West  Point,  with  its  improve- 
ments, etc.,  amounts  to  nearly  fourteen  million  dollars, 
including  the  appropriation  for  the  fiscal  year  terminating 
on  the  30th  of  June,  1886.  The  various  items  of  expen- 
diture, apart  from  the  cost  of  the  property  and  erections, 
or,  in  other  words,  the  running-  expenses  of  the  establish- 
ment,  are  fairly  illustrated  by  the  appropriation  bill  for 
the  present  year,  the  principal  items  of  the  latter  being  as 
follows : 


242  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

For  8  professors,  4  assistant  professors  and  instructors  in 

various  departments,  including  master  of  the  sword. $  47>425 

Additional  to  adjutant 400 

Treasurer , . .  700 

Pay  of  cadets , .  170,000 

Pay  of  music-teacher , . . . .  1,080 

Pay  of  band 9,240 

For  current  expenses,  repairs,  and  improvements 11,000 

For  fuel  and  apparatus , .  13,000 

For  gas-pipes  and  fixtures,  etc 900 

Fuel  for  cadets'  mess-hall,  shops,  and  laundry 3,000 

Postage  and  telegrams 300 

Stationery 600 

Transportation,  etc 2,000 

Printing i,oco 

For  salaries  of  3  clerks ,  3,600 

For  department  of  instruction  in  mathematics 300 

For  department  of  instruction  in  civil  and  military  engi- 
neering    600 

For  department  of  chemistry,  mineralogy,  and  geology..  2,930 

For  department  of  modern  languages 275 

For  department  of  history,  geography,  and  ethics 300 

For  department  of  drawing 1,234 

For  department  of  law 250 

For  department  of  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry  tactics.  1,300 

For  department  of  ordnance  and  gunnery 300 

For  department  of  practical  military  engineering 1,200 

For  department  of  philosophy,  e  c 2,850 

For  expenses  of  the  board  of  visitors , . . . .  3,000 

For  miscellaneous  and  incidental  expenses 11,320 

For  assistant  librarian 1,000 

For  increase  of  library . . . .  , , .  1,000 

For  furniture 200 

For  furniture  for  cadet  hospital 100 

For  bedding  for  candidates 500 

For  contingencies  for  superintendent 1,000 

For  renewal  of  furniture 500 

For  buildings  and  grounds 500 

For  breast-high  wall 500 


IMMEDIATE  OBJECT  OF  THE   TABLES.  243 

For  cadet  barracks 5;°°° 

For  "pointing"  cadet  hospital 1,15° 

For  ''  pointing  "  administration  buildings 790 

For  "  pointing  "  cadet  barracks 300 

For  relining  parapet  cadet  barracks 500 

For  expenditures  on  account  of  water-works 520 

For  additional  bath-tubs  for  cadets 1,000 

For  barracks  band 3)857 

For  addition  to  outbuilding '. . . .  1,200 

For  erection  of  ice-cooler 300 

Etc.,  etc. 

The  author  here  introduces  certain  additional  tables, 
which  will  be  more  particularly  commented  upon  in  the 
subsequent  pages  of  this  volume. 

At  the  present  point  it  may  be  remarked  that  the 
immediate  object  of  Table  11.  is  to  illustrate,  by  means  of 
authentic  figures,  the  extent  to  which  political  influence 
filled  the  cadet  vacancies  of  the  army,  from  the  year  1802 
to  that  of  1861  ;  while  the  purpose  of  Table  III.  is  to 
place  before  the  reader  in  a  compact  form  the  names  of 
the  high-class  graduates  who  have  issued  from  the  Mili- 
tary Academy  with  a  special  indorsement  of  military 
qualification,  as  it  may  be  said,  from  the  West  Point 
faculty.  Upon  glancing  over  the  long  list  of  names 
representing  those  who  have  carried  off  the  honors  of  the 
institution,  the  reader  will  be  surprised  to  observe  how 
few  of  those  of  whom  so  much  was  expected  have  figured 
with  any  distinction  in  the  military  records  of  our  country 
—  nay,  how  few  of  them,  in  comparison  with  the  whole 
number,  have  even  become  known,  in  connection  with 
active  military  operations,  to  the  general  people. 


244 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


Table  II. 

Statement  showing  the  populatioji  of  the  slaveholding  and  non-slaveholding 
States  of  the  Union,  according  to  the  censtcs  of  1810,  and  to  that 
of  i860,  the  year  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellio7i : 


Recapitulation. 


In   1810. 

In  i860. 

Total  population  of  slaveholding  States 

Total  population  of  non-slaveholding  States 

3.456,856 
3.758,999 

12,240,293 
18,977,728 

Totals 

7,215,855 

31,218,021 

CADETS  ADMITTED   TO  MILITARY  ACADEMY. 


245 


Table  III. 

Statej?ient  of  the  na?nes,  total  jiumbers,  and  States  and  Territories  of 
residence,  of  the  cadets  admitted  to  the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  from  its  for?nal  establishmefit,  in  the  year  1802,  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  slaveholders'  rebellion,  in  1861  • 


NON-SLAVEHOLDING    STATES,   AS   FOLLOWS  : 

Maine loi      Illinois ., 76 

37 

12 

14 

7 

5 
2 


New  Hampshire. ........ .  78      Michigan 

Vermont loi 

Massachusetts 227 

Rhode  Island 41 

Connecticut loi 

New  York 627 

New  Jersey 98 

Pennsylvania 413 

Ohio 232 

Indiana 103 


Iowa 

Wisconsin. 
California. 
Minnesota 
Oregon  . , . 
Nebraska. 
Kansas . . . . 


Total 2,278 


SLAVEHOLDING    STATES,  AS   FOLLOWS  ! 


Delaware 41 

Maryland 176 

Virginia 369 

North  Carolina 181 

South  Carolina 155 

Georgia 131 

Alabama 84 

Mississippi 46 

Louisiana 56 


Kentucky 187 

Tennessee 

Missouri 

Arkansas 

Florida 

Texas 


171 

15 

19 
9 


1,710 
District  of  Columbia 109 


Total  chargeable  to  slaveholding  States 1,819 


TERRITORIES,  AS   FOLLOWS  : 

3      Washington . 

^  Total 

At  large 307      Unknown  , . , 


New  Mexico 
Utah 


26 


246 


THE   VOL  UNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


RECAPITULATION. 

From  non-slaveholding  At  large 307 

States 2,278  Unknown 26 

From  slaveholding  States.  1,710  

From  Territories 8  Grand  total 4,438 

From    Dist.    of    Columbia.    109 

Table  IV. 

List  of  West  Point  graduates  from  the  year  1802  to  the  year  1861,  and 
names  of  cadets  attached  to  the  Army  Register  anmially,  in  co?iformity 
with  a  later  regulation  for  the  government  of  the  Military  Academy, 
requiring  the  names  of  the  most  distinguished  cadets^  not  exceeding 
five  in  each  class,  to  be  reported  for  this  purpose  at  each  annual  ex- 
amination. ^ 


1802. 

I. 

Joseph  G.  Swift. 

2. 

Simon  M.  Levy. 

1803. 

I. 

W.  K.  Armistead. 

2. 

H.  B.  Jackson. 

3- 

John  Livingston. 

1804. 

I. 

Samuel  Gates. 

2. 

H.  M.  Allen. 

1805. 

I. 

G.  Bomford. 

2. 

William  McRee. 

3- 

Joseph  G.  Totten, 

1806. 

I. 

William  Gates. 

2. 

J.  Heileman. 

3- 

P.  V.  Bonis. 

4- 

A.  Chouteau. 

5- 

A.  Partridge. 

1807. 

I. 

J.  Post. 

2. 

S.  Clark. 

3- 

J.  Anderson. 

4. 

S.  Champlin. 

5- 

S.  Noah. 

1809. 


I8II. 


I8I2. 


I. 

D.  A.  A.  Buck. 

2. 

S.  Babcock. 

3- 

S.  Thayer. 

4- 

S.  B.  Rathbone. 

5- 

L.  Valle. 

I. 

C.  Van  de  Venter. 

2. 

S.  G.  Conkling. 

3- 

A.  W.  Magee. 

4- 

M.  Haxtun. 

5- 

A.  Hall. 

I. 

A.  J.  Williams. 

2. 

M.  V.  Boisaubin.' 

3. 

A.  Larrabee. 

4- 

H.  A.  Hobart. 

5- 

T.  Ketchum. 

I. 

J.  M.  Wilcox. 

2. 

A.  Conant. 

3- 

L.  L.  Buck. 

4. 

A.  R.  Thompson, 

5- 

J.  R.  Bell. 

^  For  the  material  of  this  table  the  author  is  indebted  to  the  valuable  work  of 
G.  W.  Cullum  on  the  West  Point  graduates,  and  the  no  less  valuable  volume  of 
Capt.  E.  C.  Boynton  on  the  history  of  that  institution. 


TABLE  OF  HIQH-CLASS  GRADUATES. 


247 


I8I3. 

I. 

G.  Trescot. 

I8I4. 

I. 

G.  W.  Gardiner. 

2. 

C.  S.  Merchant. 

3- 

N.  G.  Dana. 

4- 

J.  Munroe. 

5- 

J.  J.  Allanson. 

I8I5. 

I. 

H.  Middleton. 

2 

W.  F.  Rigal. 

3- 

J.  Simonson. 

4- 

J.  Hills. 

5. 

S.  Willard. 

1817. 

I. 

A.  L.  Roumfort. 

2. 

J.  M.  Spencer. 

3- 

I.  A.  Adams. 

4- 

W.  G.  Graham. 

5- 

J.  D.  Graham. 

I8I8. 

I. 

R.  Delafield. 

2. 

A.  Talcott. 

3- 

S.  S.  Smith. 

4- 

H.  Webster. 

5- 

H.  Brown. 

I8I9. 

I. 

W.  A.  Eliason. 

2. 

F.  A.  Underhill. 

3- 

C.  A.  Ogden. 

4. 

E.  D.  Mansfield. 

5- 

H.  W.  Brewerton, 

1820. 

I. 

S.  Tuttle. 

2. 

A.  J.  Donelson, 

3- 

F.  E.  Sudler. 

4- 

W.  H.  Bell. 

5- 

W.  C.  De  Hart. 

I82I. 

I, 

E.  H.  Courtenay. 

2. 

C.  Burdine. 

3- 

J.  Prescott. 

4- 

W.  W.  Wells. 

5- 

C.  Dimmock.  "^ 

1822. 

I. 

G.  Button. 

1823. 


1824. 


2. 

J.  K.  F.  Mansfield. 

3- 

C.  G.  Smith. 

4- 

T.  R.  Ingalls. 

5- 

H.  Bliss. 

I. 

A.  Mordecai. 

2_ 

G.  S.  Greene. 

3- 

G.  C.  Richards. 

4. 

R.  Holmes. 

5- 

S.  U.  Southerland. 

I. 

D.  H.  Mahan. 

2. 

J.  W.  A.  Smith. 

3- 

R.  P.  Parrott. 

4- 

R.  E.  Hazard. 

5- 

J.  K.  Findlay. 

1825. — FIRST  CLASS.  ^ 

1.  A.  D.  Bache Penn. 

2.  Peter  McMartin N.  Y. 

3.  A.  H.  Bowman Penn. 

4.  T.  S.  Brown N.  Y. 

5.  D.  S.  Donelson Tenn. 

SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  C.  Bartlett Mo. 

2.  Thos.  S.  Twiss Vt. 

3.  William  Bryant Va. 

4.  Thos.  J.  Cram N.  H. 

5.  Chas.  G.  Ridgely....Del. 


THIRD    CLASS. 

William  Maynadier. .  D.  C. 

L.  J.  Bibb Ky. 

E.  S.  Sibley Mich. 

P.  B.  Anderson Tenn. 

John  Childe Mass. 


^  This  part  of  the  table  to  its  close  is  from  Captain  Boynlon's  work. 


248 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  H.  W.  Mercer Va. 

2.  W.  P.  N.  Fitzgerald  .  N.  Y. 

3.  A.  E.  Church Conn. 

4.  W.  B.  Guion Miss. 

5.  D.  M.  Farrelly Penn. 

1826. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  C.  Bartlett  ...Mo. 

2.  Thos.  S.  Twiss Vt. 

3.  Wm.  Bryant Va. 

4.  Thos.  J.  Cram N.  H. 

5.  Chas.  G.  Ridgely . . .  Del. 

SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  J.  A.J.  Bradford  ....Ky. 

2.  E.  S.  Sibley Mich. 

3.  Wm.  Maynadier D.  C. 

4.  John  Childe Mass. 

5.  Edwin  Schenck N.  Y. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  W.  P.  N.  Fitzgerald  .N.  Y. 

2.  H.  W.  Mercer Va. 

3.  A.  E.  Church Conn. 

4.  Walter  B.  Guion Miss. 

5.  R.  C.  Tilghman Md. 

FOURTH    CLASS, 

1.  Chas.  Mason N.  Y. 

2.  Wm.  H.  Harford ....  Ga. 

3.  Robert  E.  Lee Va. 

4.  Wm.  Boylan N.  C. 

5.  Jas.  Barnes Mass. 

1827. — FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  E.  S.Sibley Hich. 

2.  John  Childe Mass. 

3.  Wm.  Maynadier D.  C. 

4.  J.  A.  J.  Bradford Ky. 

5.  L.  J.  Bibb Ky. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  A.  E.  Church Conn, 

2.  H.  W.  Mercer Va. 

3.  Robert  E.  Temple... Vt. 

4.  C.  O.  Collins N.  Y. 

5.  R.  C.  Tilghman Md. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  Chas.  Mason N.  Y. 

2.  Robert  E.  Lee Va. 

3.  C.  P.  Buckingham..  .Ohio. 

4.  W.  H.  Harford...... Ga. 

5.  Jas.  Barnes Mass, 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  A.  J.  Swift N.  Y. 

2.  W.  E.  Basinger Ga. 

3.  W.  S.  Chandler D.  C. 

4.  Thos.  J.  Lee D.  C. 

5.  Francis  Vinton R.  I, 

1828. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  A.  E.  Church Conn. 

2.  R.  C.  Tilghman Md. 

3.  H.  W.  Mercer Va. 

4.  R.  E.  Temple Vt. 

5.  C.  O.  Collins. N.  Y, 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  Chas.  Mason N.  Y. 

2.  Robert  E.  Lee Va. 

3.  C.  P.  Buckingham  ..Ohio. 

4.  W.  H.  Harford Ga. 

5.  Jas.  Barnes Mass. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  A.  J.  Swift N.  Y. 

2.  W.  S.  Chandler D.  C. 

3.  Wm.  N.  Pendleton,  .Va. 

4.  Wm.  E.  Basinger. ..  .Ga, 

5.  Francis  Vinton R.I, 


TABLE  OF  niGII-CLASS  GRADUATES. 


249 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  Roswell  Park N.  Y. 

2.  Henry  Clay Ky. 

3.  W.  A.  Norton N.  Y. 

4.  R.  A.  Peyton Va. 

5.  Geo.  H.  Talcott N.  Y. 

1829. FIRST    CLASS, 

1.  Chas.  Mason N.  Y. 

2.  Robert  E.  Lee Va. 

3.  W.  Harford Ga. 

4.  Jos.  A.  Smith. .......  Penn. 

5.  J.as.  Barnes Mass. 

SECOND   CLASS. 

1.  A.J.  Swift N.  Y. 

2.  W.  S.  Chandler D.  C. 

3.  Wm.  N.  Pendleton.  ..Va. 

4.  Francis  Vinton R.  I. 

5.  Geo.  W.  Lawson Tenn 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  Roswell  Park N.  Y. 

2.  Henry  Clay Ky. 

3.  W.  A.  Norton N.  Y. 

4.  Jas.  Allen N.  C. 

5.  R.  H.  Peyton Va. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  Benj.  S.  Ewell Va. 

2.  Robert.  P.  Smith Miss. 

3.  Jacob  W.  Bailey R.  I. 

4.  G.  W.  Ward Mass. 

5.  J.  C.  Vance Ohio. 

1830. FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  A.J.  Swift N.  Y. 

2.  W.  E.  Basinger Ga. 

3.  W.  S.  Chandler D.  C. 

4.  Francis  Vinton R.I. 

5.  Wm.  N.  Pendleton.  ..Va. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  Roswell  Park N.  Y. 

2.  Jas.  Allen N.  C. 

3.  Henry  Clay Ky. 

4.  R.  H.  Peyton Va. 

5.  W.  A.  Norton N.  Y. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  Robert  P.  Smith Miss. 

2.  Benj.  S.  Ewell Va. 

3.  Geo.  A.  Ward Mass. 

4.  J.  W.  Bailey R.  I. 

5.  Lewis  Howell Penn. 

FOURTH   CLASS. 

1.  F.  A.  Smith Mass. 

2.  J.  H.  Allen N.  Y. 

3.  F.  H.  Smith Va. 

4.  D.  B.  Harris Va. 

5.  W.  H.  Sidell N.  Y. 

1831. FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  Roswell  Park N.  Y. 

2.  Henry  Clay Ky. 

3.  Jas.  Allen N.  C. 

4.  H.  E.  Prentis .Me. 

5.  Albert  M.  Lea Tenn. 

SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  Robert  P.  Smith Miss. 

2.  Geo.  W.  Ward Mass. 

3.  J.  W.  Bailey R.  L 

4.  Benj.  S.  Ewell Va. 

5.  Geo.  W.  Cass Ohio. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  Fred.  A.  Smith Mass. 

2.  Wm.  A.   Sidell...... N.  Y. 

3.  J.  G.  Barnard Mass. 

4.  Roswell  W.  Lee Mass. 

5.  Rufus  King N.  Y. 


250 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  Wm.  Smith N,  Y. 

2.  H.  Loughborough  .  .Ky. 

3.  John  F.  Lee Va. 

4.  John  Sanders Fla. 

5.  Curran  Pope Ky. 

1832. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  G.  W.  Ward ..Mass. 

2.  Robert  P.  Smith Miss. 

3.  Benj.  S.  Ewell Va. 

4.  G.  W.  Cass Ohio. 

5.  J.  W.  Bailey R.  L 

SECOND    CLASS. 


1.  J.  G.  Barnard Mass. 

2.  Fred.  A.   Smith Mass. 

3.  W.  H.  Sidell N.  Y. 

4.  G.  W.   Cullum Penn. 

5.  Rufus   King N.  Y. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  Wm.  Smith.. N.  Y. 

2.  H.  Loughborough. . .  Ky. 

3.  John  Sanders Fla. 

4.  John   F.  Lee Va. 

5.  Jas.  Duncan N.  Y. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  G.  M.  Legate N.  Y. 

2.  T.  T.  Gantt.. Va. 

3.  Chas.  H.  Bigelow. .  .Mass. 

4.  C.  J.  Whiting Me. 

5.  Montgomery  Blair.. Ky. 

1833. FIRST    CLASS, 

1.  F.  A.  Smith Mass. 

2.  J.  G.  Barnard Mass. 

3.  G.  W.   Cullum Penn. 

4.  Rufus   King N.  Y. 

5.  Francis   H.  Smith... Va. 


SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  William  Smith N.  Y. 

2.  John  Sanders Fla. 

3.  R.  T.  P.  Allen Md. 

4.  H.  Loughborough. .  .Ky. 

5.  W.  T.  Stockton Penn. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  C.  H.  Bigelow Mass. 

2.  C.  J.  Whiting Me. 

3.  G.  M.  Legate N.  Y. 

4.  J.  H.   Martindale....N.  Y. 

5.  T.  T.  Gantt Va. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  J.  L.  Mason At  large 

2.  D.  Leadbeater Me. 

3.  Alexander  Hamilton.  N.  Y. 

4.  B.  Conkling N.  Y. 

5.  J.  R.  Anderson Va. 

1834. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  Wm.  D.  Fraser N.  Y. 

2.  John   Sanders Fla. 

3.  H.   Loughborough  . .  Ky. 

4.  T.  A.  Morris Ind. 

5.  R.  T.  P.  Allen Md. 

SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  C.  J.  Whiting  .    Me. 

2.  J.  H.  Martindale N.  Y. 

3.  G.  W.  Morell N.  Y. 

4.  C.  M.  Bigelow Mass. 

5.  G.  M.  Legate N.  Y. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  J.  L.  Mason At  large 

2.  D.  Leadbeater Me. 

3.  M.  C.  Meigs Penn. 

4.  Alexander  Hamilton. N.  Y. 

5.  B.  Conkling N.  Y. 


TABLE  OF  HIGH-CLASS  GRADUATES. 


251 


FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  J.  W.  Gunnison N.  H. 

2.  H.  W.   Benham Conn. 

3.  E.  W.  Morgan Penn. 

4.  A,  B.  Dyer Mo. 

5.  John  Bratt N.  Y 

1835. — FIRST    CLASS. 

I.-  G.  W.  Morell N.  Y. 

2.  C.  H.  Bigelow Mass. 

3.  J.  H.  Martindale....N.  Y. 

4.  C.  J.  Whiting. Me. 

5.  G.  M.  Legate N.  Y. 

SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  M.  C.  Meigs Penn. 

2.  Alexander  Hamilton.  N.  Y. 

3.  G.   L.  Walker Tenn. 

4.  J.  L.  Mason   At  large 

5.  F.  A.  Lewis Va. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  E.  W.  Morgan Penn. 

2.  H.  W.   Benham Conn. 

3.  A.  B.  Dyer Mo. 

4.  J.  W.  Gunnison N.  H. 

5.  John  Bratt N.  Y. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  Wright N.  C. 

2.  A.   H.    Dearborn N.  Y. 

3.  S.  H.  Campbell Vt. 

4.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard.  La. 

5.  J.   T.   Metcalfe Miss. 

1836. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  G.  L.  Welcker Tenn. 

2.  J.  L.  Mason At  large 

3.  D.  Leadbeater Me. 

4.  J.  R.   Anderson Va. 

5.  M.  C .  Meigs Penn. 


SECOND    CLASS. 


1.  H.  W.  Benham Conn. 

2.  E.  W.  Morgan Penn. 

3.  J.  W.  Gunnison N.  H. 

4.  John  Bratt N.  Y. 

5.  W.  W.  Chapman Mass. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  Wright N.  C. 

2.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard. La. 

3.  A.   H.   Dearborn N.  Y. 

4.  S.  H.  Campbell Vt. 

5.  J.  H.  Trapier S.  C. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  LL  Stevens. ..:...  .Mass. 

2.  H.  J.  Biddle Penn 

3.  R.   Q.   Butler Va. 

4.  H.  W.  Halleck N.  Y. 

5.  J.  F.  Gilmer N.  C. 

1837. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  H.  W.  Benham Conn. 

2.  J.  W.  Gunnison N.  H. 

3.  E.  W.  Morgan Penn. 

4.  John  Bratt N.  Y. 

5.  Braxton   Bragg N.  C. 

SECOND    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  Wright N.  C. 

2.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard.  La. 

3.  A.    H.    Dearborn N.  Y. 

4.  J.  H,  Trapier S.  C. 

5.  J.  T.  •  Metcalf Miss. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1 .  L  L  Stevens Mass. 

2.  H.  J.  Biddle Penn. 

3.  R.   Q.    Butler Va. 

4.  J.  F.  Gilmer N.  C. 

5.  H.  W.  Halleck N.  Y. 


252 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  P.   O.   Herbert La. 

2.  W.  P.  Jones At  large 

3.  B.  P.  Tilden Mass. 

4.  W.  H.  Churchill At  large 

5.  Stewart  Van  Vliet..N.  Y. 

1838. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  Wright N.  C. 

2.  P.  G.  T.  Beauregard. La. 

3.  J.  H.  Trapier S.  C. 

4.  S.  H.  Campbell Vt. 

5.  J.  M.  Scarritt 111. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  LL  Stevens .....Mass, 

2.  R.  Q.  Butler Va. 

3.  H.  W.  Halleck N.  Y. 

4.  J.  F.  Gilmer N.  C. 

5.  H.  L.  Smith Me. 


THIRD  CLASS. 

P.   O.  Hebert La. 

W.  P.  Jones At  large 

C.  P.  Kingsbury N.  C. 

J.  McNutt Ohio.. 

S.  Wilcox N.  Y. 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  Z.  B.  Tower Mass. 

2.  T.  J.  Rodman Ind. 

3.  H.  Wilson Penn. 

4.  J.  Gorgas N.  Y. 

5.  S.  Stansbury Md. 

1839. — FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  I.  I.  Stevens Mass. 

2.  R.  O.  Butler Va. 

3.  H.  W.  Halleck N.  Y. 

4.  F.  Gilmer N.  C. 

5.  Henry  L.  Smith Me. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  P.   O.  Hebert La. 

2.  W.  P.  Jones At  large 

3.  John  McNutt Ohio. 

4.  C.  P.  Kingsbury N.  C. 

5.  Wm.  Gilham Ind. 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  Z.  B.  Tower Mass. 

2.  H.  G.  Wright Conn. 

3.  M.  Harrison At  large 

4.  S.  Stansbury Md. 

5.  J.  Gorgas N.  Y. 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  H.  L.  Eustis Mass. 

2.  J  D.  Kurtz D.  C. 

3.  G.  W.  Rains Ala. 

4.  W.  S.  Rosecrans Ohio. 

5.  R,  W.  Johnson Va. 

1840. — FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  P.   O.  Hebert La. 

2.  C.  P.  Kingsbury N.  C. 

3.  John  McNutt Ohio. 

4.  Wm.  P.  Jones At  large 

5.  Wm.  Gilham Ind. 

second' CLASS. 

1.  Z.  B.  Tower Mass. 

2.  H.  G.  Wright Conn. 

3.  M.  Harrison At  large 

4.  J.  Gorgas N.  Y. 

5.  S.  Stansbury Md. 

THIRD  CLAS^. 

1.  J.  Newton Va. 

2.  H.  L.  Eustis Mass. 

3.  G.  W.  Rains Ala. 

4.  S.  D.  Kurtz D.  C. 

5.  W.  S.  Rosecrans Ohio. 


TABLE   OF  HIGH-CLASS  GRADUATES. 


255 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  Wm.  B.  Franklin. ..  ,Penn. 

2.  T.  J.  Brereton At  large 

3.  W.  F.  Raynolds Ohio. 

4.  Joseph  F.  Reynolds.  .Ind. 

5.  James  A.  Hardie  ...  .At  large 

184I. FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  Z.  B.  Tower Mass. 

2.  H.  G.  Wright Conn. 

3.  M.  Harrison At  large 

4.  S.  Stansbury Md. 

5.  A.  W.  Whipple Mass. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  H.  L.  Eustis Mass. 

2.  John  Newton Va, 

3.  J.  D.  Kurtz D.  C. 

4.  G.  W.  Rains Ala. 

5.  W.  S.  Rosecrans, . . .  .Ohio. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  T.  J.  Brereton At  large 

2.  G.  Deshon Conn. 

3.  W.  B.  Franklin Penn. 

4.  W.  F.  Raynolds. ....  Ohio. 

5.  Roswell  S.  Ripley. . .  N.  Y. 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  W.  G.  Peck Conn. 

2.  J.  H.  Whittlesey.... N.Y. 

3.  A.  R.  Eddy R.I. 

4.  S.  Gill Ky. 

5.  H.  B.  Schroeder Md. 

1842. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  H.  L.  Eustis Mass. 

2.  J.  Newton Va. 

3.  G.  W.  Rains.. Ala. 

4.  J.  D.  Kurtz ..D.  C. 

5.  W.  S.  Rosecrans  . . .  .Ohio. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  T.  J.  Brereton At  large 

2.  W.  B.  Franklin Penn. 

3.  George  Deshon Conn. 

4.  W.  F.  Raynolds Ohio. 

5.  R.  S.  Ripley N.Y. 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  W.  G.  Peck '..Conn. 

2.  S.Gill Ky. 

3.  J.  H.  Whittlesey  ....N.  Y. 

4.  D.  M.  Frost N.  Y. 

5.  A.  R.  Eddy R.  I. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  L.  Hebert La. 

2.  W.  H.  C.  Whiting...  At  large 

3.  Henry  Coppee Ga. 

4.  E.  B.  Hunt N.  Y. 

5.  W.  F.  Smith Vt. 

1843. l'"IRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  B.  Franklin Penn.  . 

2.  J.  Deshon Conn. 

3.  T.  J.  Brereton At  large 

4.  J.  H.  Greland .......  Penn. 

5.  Wo  F.  Raynolds Ohio. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  W.  G.  Peck„ Conn. 

2.  J.  H.  Whittlesey  ....N.  Y. 

3.  F.  J.  Thomas Md. 

4„  Samuel  Gill Ky. 

5,  D.  M.  Frost 0.0..N.  Y. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  C.  Whiting. . .  At  large 

2.  L.  Hebert La. 

3.  E.  B.  Hunt N.  Y. 

4.  W.  F.  Smith Vt. 

5.  H.  Coppee Ga. 


254 


THE   VOL  UNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


FOURTH     CLASS. 

1.  C.S.  Stewart N.  J. 

2.  C.  E.  Blunt At  large 

3.  Geo.  B.  McClellan...Penn. 

4.  F.  T.  Bryan N.  C. 

5.  J,  L,  Reno Penn. 

1844. — FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  G.  Peck Conn. 

2.  J.  H.  Whittlesey  . . . .  N.  Y. 

3.  S.  Gill Ky. 

4.  D.  M.  Frost N.  Y. 

5.  A.  R.  Eddy R.  I. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  C.  Whiting...  At  large 

2.  L.  Hebert La. 

3.  E.  B.  Hunt N.  Y. 

4.  W.  F.  Smith Vt. 

5.  J.  H.  Carlisle Me, 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  C.  S.  Stewart N.  J. 

2.  C.  E.  Blunt At  large 

3.  Geo.  B.  McClellan. . .  Penn. 

4.  J.  G.   Foster N.  H. 

5.  F.  T.Bryan N.  C. 


FOURTH     CLASS. 

1.  J.  McAllister At  large 

2.  J.  C.  Symmes Ohio. 

3.  D.  T.  Van  Buren N.  Y. 

4.  D.  Beltzhoover Miss. 

5.  J.  Hamilton Ind. 

1845. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  H.  C.  Whiting...  At  large 

2.  E.  B.  Hunt N.  Y. 

3.  L.  Hebert La. 

4.  W.  F.  Smith Vt. 

5.  T.J.  Wood Ky. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  C=  S.  Stewart N.  J. 

2.  C.  E,  Blunt At  large 

3.  S.  G.  Foster N.  H. 

4.  Geo.  B.  McClellan... Penn. 

5.  Geo.  H.  Derby Mass. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  J,  C.  Symmes Ohio. 

2.  J.  Hamilton Ind. 

3.  J.  McAllister At  large 

4.  D.  T.  Van  Buren  . . .  N.  Y. 

5.  J.  J.Woods Ohio. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  W.  P.  Trowbridge. . .  Mich. 

2.  A.  J.  Donelson Tenn. 

3.  N.  Michler Penn. 

4.  J.  Holmes N.  C. 

5.  W.  H.  Stevens N.  Y. 

1846. — FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  C.  S.  Stewart N.  Y. 

2.  Geo.  B.  McClellan... Pa. 

3.  C.  E.  Blunt At  large 

4.  J.  G.   Foster N.  H. 

5.  E.  L.  F.  Hardcastle.  .Md. 

SECOND   CLASS. 

1.  J.  C.  Symmes Ohio. 

2.  J.  Hamilton Ind. 

3.  S.  Chalfin 111. 

4.  D.  T.  Van  Buren N.  Y. 

5.  J.  McAllister At  large 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  W.  P.  Trowbridge. .  .Mich. 

2.  W.  H.  Stevens N.  Y. 

3.  A.  J.  Donelson Tenn. 

4.  N.  Michler Penn. 

5.  R.  S.  Williamson....  N.  J. 


TABLE    OF  JIIGH'CLASS  GRADUATES. 


255 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  J.  G.  Parke Penn. 

2.  D.  C.  Bolles Ohio. 

3.  Q.  A.  Gilmoi-e ... Ohio, 

4.  S.  V.  Benet Fla. 

5.  E.  R.  Piatt Vt. 

1847. FIRST    CLASS. 

I.  J.  C.  Symmes Ohio. 


J.  Hamilton Ind. 

J.  J.  Woods., Ohio. 

J.  McAllister At  large 

G.  W.  Hazzard Ind. 


SECOND    CLASS. 


1.  W.  P.  Trowbridge 

2.  J.  C.  Duane 

3.  R.  S.  Williamson. 

4.  W.  H.  Stevens... 

5.  A.  J.  Donelson. . . 


. .  Mich. 
. .  N.  Y. 
..N.J. 

. .  N.  Y. 
.  .Tenn. 


THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  J.  G.  Parke Penn. 

2.  Q.  A.  Gilmore Ohio. 

3.  S.  V.  Benet Fla. 

4.  D.  C.  Bolles Ohio. 

5.  T.J.  Haines N.  H. 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  F.  E.  Prime N.  Y. 

2.  L.  M.  Walker Atlarge 

3.  P.  T.  Wyman Mass. 

4.  S.  Crispin Penn. 

5.  J.  H.  Wheelock Mass. 

1848. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  p.  Trowbridge. .  .Mich. 


2.  A.  J.  Donelson. . 

3.  J.  C.  Duane 

4.  W.  H.  Stevens. . 

5.  R.  S.  Williamson 


.  .Tenn. 
.N.  Y. 

,.N.  Y. 
.N.J. 


SECOND   CLASS. 

1.  Q.   A.  Gilmore Ohio. 

2.  J.  G.  Parke Penn. 

3.  S.  V.  Benet Fla. 

4.  J.  K.  Duncan Ohio. 

5.  T.  J.  Haines N.  H. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  F.   E.  Prime N.  Y. 

2.  G.  K.Warren N.  Y. 

3.  S.   Crispin Penn. 

4.  P.  T,  Wyman Mass. 

5.  C.  Grover Me. 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  G.  L.  Andrews Mass. 

2.  G.  T.  Balch Ohio. 

3.  J.   St.  C.  Morton Penn. 

4.  A.  Piper Penn. 

5.  W.  T.  Welcker, Tenn. 

1849. — FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  Q.  A.  Gilmore Ohio. 

2.  J.  G.  Parke Penn. 

3.  S.  V.  Benet Fla. 

4.  T.  J.  Haines N.  H. 

5.  j.  K.  Duncan Ohio. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  G.   K.  Warren N.  Y. 

2.  S.   Crispin Penn. 

3.  F.  E.   Prime N.  Y. 

4.  A.    Bowen Tenn. 

5.  C.  Grover Me. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  G.  L.  Andrews Mass. 

2.  J.  St.  C.  Morton Penn. 

3.  J.    Thompson N.  Y. 

4.  A.  Piper Penn. 

5.  G.   T.  Balch Ohio. 


.i>56 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  G.  H.  Mendell Penn. 

2.  G.   B.  Andrews .  „ . . .  N,  C. 

3.  J.   C.  Ives  o  „.,..,.. .  Conn. 

4.  N.  F.  Alexander, ..  ,Tenn. 

5.  T.  L.  Casey = ,  „  At  large 

1850. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  F.  E,  Prime.... ...„.N.  Y. 

2.  G.  K,  Warren _N,  Y, 

3.  S.  Crispin , . . .  . .  o  o . .  Penn, 

4.  C.  Grover ,  Me, 

5.  P.  T.  Wyman  ,„.».,,  Mass. 

SECOND   CLASS, 

1.  G.  L.  Andrews  . . , » .Mass. 

2.  J.  St.  C.  Morton Pa. 

3.  G.  T.  Balch  .......  .Ohio. 

4.  W.  T.  Welcker. . .  „  ...Tenn. 

5.  J.  Thompson .N,  Y. 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  T.  L  Casey o  Ac  large 

2.  G.  W.  Rose. N.  Y. 

3.  N.  F.  Alexander  ....Tenn. 

4.  J.  C.  Ives c Conn. 

5.  J.  N.  Bonaparte. .  o .  .Md. 

FOURTH   CLASS. 

1.  W.  P.  Craighill  , Va. 

2.  J.  B.  McPherson....Ohio. 

3.  J.  W.  Sill Ohio. 

4.  F.  J.  Shunk At  large 

5.  W.  Jenkins At  large 

185  I. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  G=  L.  Andrews Mass. 

2.  J.  St.  C.  Morton .....  Penn. 

3.  G.  T.  Balch Ohio. 

4.  W.  T.  Welcker Tenn. 

5.  A.  Piper , Pa. 


SECOND    CLASS. 

?„  T.  L.  Casey At  large 

2.  N,  F.  Alexander  ...  .Tenn. 

3.  H.  W.  Slocum  „....oN.  Y. 

4.  G.  W.  Rose ....N.  Y. 

5.  J.  C.  Ives  o —  . .  Conn. 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  J.  B,  McPherson Ohio. 

2.  W.  R.  Boggs Ga. 

3.  W.  S.  Smith Ohio. 

4.  W.  P.  Craighill Va. 

5.  F.  J.  Shunk At  large 

FOURTH   CLASS. 

1.  O.  O.  Howard Me. 

2.  G.  W.  Custis  Lee. . . .  At  large 

3.  H.  L.  Abbot Mass. 

4.  T.  H.  Ruger .\  Wis. 

5.  T.  J.  Treadwell N.  H. 

1852. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  T.  L.  Casey At  large 

2.  N,  F.  Alexander  . . .  .Tenn. 

3.  G.  H.  Mendell Penn. 

4.  G.  W.  Rose. ........  N.  Y. 

5.  J.  C.  Ives „ . .  Conn, 

SECOND   CLASS,. 

1.  Jas.  B.  McPherson  ..Ohio. 

2.  W.  R.  Boggs Ga. 

3.  W.  P.   Craighill .Va. 

4.  J.  W.  Sill. Ohio. 

5.  W.  S.  Smith Ohio. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  G.  W,  Custis  Lee ....  At  large 

2.  T.  H.  Ruger Wis. 

3.  J.  Pegram Va. 

A.  H.  L.  Abbot Mass. 

5.  T.  J.  Treadwell N.  H. 


TABLE   OF  niGH-CLASS  GRADUATES. 


257 


FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  C.  B.  Comstock Mass, 

2.  G.  H.  Elliot Mass. 

3.  A.  S.Webb,.. N.  Y, 

4  J.  V.  D.  Du  Bols N.  Y. 

5  J.  R.  Church Ga. 

1S53. — FIRST   CLASS. 

1.  J,  B.  McPherson. . .  .Ohio, 

2.  W.  P.  Craighill Va. 

3.  J.  W.  Sill ..Ohio 

4.  W,  R.  Boggs Ga. 

5.  F.  J.  Shunk , „  At  large 

SECOND   CLASS. 

I    G.  W.  Custis  Lee  ....  At  large 

2.  H.  L.  Abbot , .  Mass. 

3.  O,  O.  Howard Me. 

4.  T.  H.  Ruger Wis. 

5.  J    Pegram Va 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  C.  B.  Comstock Mass. 

2.  G.  H.  Elliot Mass. 

3.  Godfrey  Weitzel .  Ohio, 

4.  A.  S.  Webb N.  Y. 

5.  F.  L.  Vinton At  large 

FOURTH   CLASS, 

1.  G.  W.  Snyder N.  Y. 

2.  D.  C.  Houston N.  Y. 

3.  M.  D.  McAllister  ...Mich. 

4.  C.  C.  Lee N.  C. 

5.  W.  E.  Webster Conn, 

1854. — FIRST  CLASS. 

1.  G.  W,  Custis  Lee ....  At  large 

2.  H.  L.  Abbot Mass. 

3.  T.  H.  Ruger Wis. 

4.  O.  O.  Howard. Me. 

5.  T.J.  Treadwell N.  H. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  C.  B.  Comstock. . ,  „ . .  Mass. 

2.  C.  Van  Camp Penn. 

3c  Godfrey  Weitzel. ....  Ohio. 

4.  J.  B.Wheeler N.  C. 

5.  E  Gay.o... N.  H. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  D.  C.  Houston N.  Y. 

2.  M.  D.  McAllister .Mich. 

3.  G.  W.  Snyder........  N.Y. 

4.  C.  C.  Lee ....N.  C. 

5.  A.  P.  Porter Penn 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  J.  C.  Palfrey  ........  Mass. 

2.  G.  C.  Strong Mass. 

3.  R.  K.  Meade,  Jr Va. 

4.  E.  P.  Alexander  .....  Ga. 

5.  J.  L.  Kirby  Smith At  large 

1855. FIRST  CLASS. 

1,  C.  B.  Comstock Mass. 

2,  Godfrey  Weitzel Ohio. 

3,  C.  Van  Camp Penn. 

4,  a  H.Elliot Mass. 

5,  J.  B.Wheeler .N.  C. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  D.  C.  Houston N.  Y. 

2.  G.  W.  Snyder., N.  Y. 

3.  M.  D.  McAllister. ....  Mich. 

4.  C.  C.  Lee N.  C. 

5.  O.  M.  Poe Ohio. 


THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  J.  C.  Palfrey Mass. 

2.  R.  K.  Meade,  Jr Va. 

3.  E.  P.  Alexander Ga. 

4.  J.  L.  Kirby  Smith  . .  .At large 

5.  G.  C.  Strong Mass, 


258 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  J.  H.  Hallonquist. . .  .S.  C. 

2.  W.  C.  Paine Mass. 

3.  J.  S.  Saunders At  large 

4.  S.  McKee Utah. 

5.  M.  J.  White Miss. 

1856. FIRST  CLASS. 


1.  G.  W.  Snyder.  . . 

2.  D.  C.  Houston  . . 

3.  M.  D.  McAllister 

4.  C.  C.  Lee 

5.  H.  V.  De  Hart . . 


,N.  Y. 
.N.  Y. 
,  Mich. 
.N.  C. 
.  At  large 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  J.  C.  Palfrey Mass. 

2.  R.  K.  Meade,  Jr Va. 

3.  G.  C.  Strong .Mass. 

4.  E.  P.  Alexander Ga. 

5.  H.  M.  Robert Ohio. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  W.  C.  Paine Mass. 

2.  J.  H.  Hallonquist. . .  .S.  C. 

3.  W.  H.  Echols Ala. 

4.  W.  H.  Bell Penn. 

5.  M.  J.  White Miss. 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  W.  E.  Merrill At  large 

2.  C.  B.  Reese N.  Y. 

3.  S.  H.  Lockett Ala. 

4.  R.  F.  Beckham Va. 

5.  O.  G.  Wagner Penn. 

1857. FIRST  CLASS.  , 

I.  J.  C.  Palfrey Mass. 

R.  K.  Meade,  Jr Va. 

E.  P.  Alexander Ga. 

H.  M.  Robert Ohio. 

G.  C.  Strong Mass. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  W.  C.  Paine Mass, 

2.  M.  J.  White Miss. 

3.  J.   Dixon Tenn. 

4.  W.  H.  Echols Ala. 

5.  R.  H.  Brewer Md. 

THIRD  CLASS. 

1.  W.  E.  Merrill Atlarge 

2.  S.  H.  Lockett .  .  .Ala. 

3.  C.  R.  Collins Penn. 

4.  O.  G.  Wagner Penn. 

5.  C.  B.  Reese N.  Y. 

FOURTH  CLASS. 

1.  W.   McFarland N.  Y. 

2.  N.  Bowen N.  Y. 

3.  Horace  Porter Penn. 

4.  J.  A.  Tardy,  Jr N.  Y. 

5.  J.  M.  Whittemore  . .  .Mass. 

1858. FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  W.  C.  Paine Mass. 

2.  M.  J.  White Miss. 

3.  J.  Dixon Tenn. 

4.  W.  H.  Echols Ala. 

5.  J.  S.  Saunders At  large 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  W.  E.  Merrill At  large 

2.  S.  H.  Lockett Ala. 

3.  C.  R.  Collins Pa, 

4.  O.  G.  Wagner Pa. 

5.  C.  B.  Reese N.  Y. 

THIRD    CLASS. 

1.  W.  McFarland N.  Y. 

2.  J.  A.  Tardy N.  Y. 

3.  Horace  Porter Pa. 

4.  N.  Bowen N.  Y. 

5.  B.  F.  Sloan S.  C. 


TABLE    OJ'    JJIGIJ-CLASS   GRADUATES. 


259 


1.  H. 

2.  H. 

3.  C. 

4.  L. 

5.  o. 

1.  W, 

2.  s. 

3.  c. 

4.  c. 
5-  O. 


FOURTH  CLASS. 

A.  Du  Pont . ,  At  large 

W.  Kingsbury  ...N.  Y. 

E.  Cross Mass. 

G.  Hoxton At  large 

E.  Babcock Vt. 

1859. KIKST  CLASS. 

,  E.  Merrill At  large 

H.  Lockett Ala. 

R.  Collins Pa. 

R.  Reese N.  Y. 

O.  Wagner Pa. 


SECOND  CLASS. 


J.  A.  Tardy. . . 
W.  McFarland 

N.  Bowen 

C.  Hook,  Jr. . . 
Horace  Porter. 


.N.  Y. 
.N.  Y. 
.N.Y. 
.111. 
.Penn. 


THIRD  CLASS. 


J.  C.  E.  Cross Mass. 

2.  H,  A.  Du  Pont At  large 

3.  O.  E.  Babcock Vt. 

4.  H.  W.  Kingsbury. . .  .N.  Y. 

5.  L.  G.  Hoxton At  large 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  A.  H.  Button Mass. 

2.  F.  U.  Farquhar Penn. 

3.  C.  Derrick At  large 

4.  P.  H.  O'Rorke N.Y. 

5.  A.  Mordecai At  large 

i860. — FIRST    CLASS. 

I.  W.  McFarland N.  Y. 


2.  J.  A.  Tardy, . . 

3.  Horace   Porter 

4.  N.    Bowen .... 

5.  T.  Edson 


.  .N.  Y. 
.  .Penn. 
..N.  Y. 
.  .  Mass. 


SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  H.  A.  Du  Pont At  large 

2.  H.  W.  Kingsbury. ..  .Mass. 

3.  O.  E.  Babcock Vt. 

4.  A.  Ames Me. 

5.  Emery  Upton N.  Y. 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  P.  H.  O'Rorke N.  Y.. 

2.  A.  H.  Dutton Conn. 

3.  F.  U.  Farquhar Penn, 

4.  C.  Derrick At  large. 

5.  D.  W.  Flagler N.  Y. 

FOURTH     CLASS. 

1.  G.  L.  Gillespie Tenn-^ 

2.  R.  S.  Mackenzie At  large 

3.  W.  A.  Marye Cal. 

4.  H.  S.  Wetmore Ohio. 

5.  C.  R.  Suter At  large 

1861. — FIRST    CLASS. 

1.  H.  A.  Du  Pont At  large 

2.  C.  E.  Cross Mass, 

3.  O.  E.  Babcock Vt. 

4.  H.  W.  Kingsbury... N.  Y. 

5.  A.  Ames Me. 

SECOND  CLASS. 

1.  P.  H.  O'Rorke N.  Y. 

2.  F.  U.  Farquhar Penn. 

3.  A.  H.  Dutton Conn. 

4.  C.  Derrick At  large 

5.  D.  W.  Flagler N.  Y. 

THIRD   CLASS. 

1.  C.  R.  Suter At  large 

2.  G.  Burroughs Mass. 

3.  G.  L.  Gillespie Tenn. 

4.  Jared  A.  Smith Me. 

5.  J.  A.  Kress Ind. 


260  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

FOURTH    CLASS. 

1.  P.  S.  Michie Ohio.  3.  John  R.  Meigs At  large 

2.  J.   D.  Robb Ky.  4.  H.  G.  Townsend. . .  .N.  Y. 

5.     W.  J.  Twining Ind. 

The  foregoing  sketch  of  West  Point,  in  its  double 
aspect  of  defensive  post  and  miUtary  school,  while  not  as 
exhaustive  in  special  detail  as  the  subject  is  susceptible  of 
being  made,  will,  nevertheless,  furnish  information  suffi- 
ciently full  and  comprehensive  for  the  purposes  of  the 
ordinary  inquirer.  The  author  has  not  touched  upon  the 
internal  management  of  the  school,  its  system  of  govern- 
ment, administration,  discipline,  curriculum  of  studies, 
etc.,  etc.  These  features  of  the  institution,  while  not 
perfect  in  character  and  in  some  particulars  wholly  objec- 
tionable, are  not  designed  for  especial  scrutiny  in  the 
present  volume.  There  is  one  point,  however,  which  may 
be  touched  upon  in  the  following  pages,  and  with  the 
statement  of  which  the  author  will  pass  for  the  present 
from  the  school  at  West  Point  to  other  relating  topics. 

By  reference  to  the  act  of  March  16,  1802,  creating 
the  Military  Academy,  it  will  be  observed  that  section  28 
of  the  said  act  prescribes  that  "  the  principal  engineer, 
and  in  his  absence  the  next  in  rank,  shall  have  the  super- 
intendence of  the  said  Academy."  Under  this  provision 
the  affairs  of  the  Academy  had  been  conducted  by  the 
officer  designated  up  to  the  year  1866,  when  a  modifica- 
tion was  ordered.  There  had  been  fourteen  superintend- 
ents, all  of  whom  were  of  the  engineer  corps.  Under 
this  simpler  method  the  best  work  of  the  institution  was 


WEST  POINT  A  MI  LI  TAR  V  DEPARTMENT.  26 1 

accomplished,  while  the  system  itself  more  nearly  repre- 
sented the  true  character  of  the  Academy  as  a  mere 
school  for  the  trainino-  of  future  soldiers. 

In  the  year  1866,  however,  the  unwise  step  was  taken 
to  remove  the  institution  from  the  superintendency  of  the 
Chief  Engineer,  and  to  place  the  charge  of  the  Academy 
in  the  War  Department,  under  such  officers  as  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  might  assign  to  the  duty.  The  result  that 
followed  soon  demonstrated  the  lessened  efficiency  of  the 
school,  consequent  upon  a  sort  of  itinerant  teaching,  con- 
nected of  necessity  with  the  varied  complexion  of  an 
officer  wholly  subject  to  political  changes.  Instead  of 
retracing  the  false  step,  a  still  greater  error  was  perpe- 
trated. Under  order  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  Major-General  J.  M.  Schofield  assumed  charge  of 
the  Academy  as  superintendent  on  September  i,  1876. 
This  officer  reports  under  date  of  November  8,  1877,  in 
relation  to  the  subject,  as  follows: 

"The  first  duty  which  demanded  my  attention  was  a  careful 
revision  of  the  academic  regulations,  with  a  view  to  such  improve- 
ments as  might  be  possible  in  the  system  of  discipline,  course  of 
instruction,  and  general  administration  of  the  institution. 

"The  revised  regulations,  having  been  submitted  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  War  and  by  him  to  the  President,  were  approved  and 
adopted  on  the  28th  of  February,  1877.  The  most  important 
feature  of  this  revised  system  is  the  erection  of  the  Military  Acad- 
emy and  its  accessories,  constituting  the  post  at  West  Point  into  a 
military  department,  under  the  command  of  a  general  officer  and 
under  the  supervision  and  charge  of  the  General-in-Chief  of  the 
army.  This  gives  to  this  institution  an  organization  correspond- 
ing to  its  character  as  one  of  the  most  important  branches  of  the 
military  establishment;  makes  it  in  form  what  it  is  designed  to  be 


262  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

in  substance,  viz.:  a  model  for  the  purpose  of  instruction  of  a  sep- 
arate militar)'^  department,  or  of  any  arm}'  in  the  field;  and  makes 
the  official  head  of  the  army  responsible  to  the  President  and  to 
the  Secretary  of  War  for  the  proper  conduct  of  this  as  for  the 
other  branches  of  the  military  service,"  etc. 

Now,  these  are  the  honest  views  of  a  professional 
soldier,  formed,  of  course,  from  the  standpoint  of  a  mili- 
tary interest.  The  institution  which  was  so  graphically 
described  by  Colonel  Williams,  one  of  its  first  superin- 
tendents, as  being  "  like  a  foundling,  barely  existing 
among  the  mountains,  and  nurtured  at  a  distance,  out  of 
sight,  and  almost  unknown  to  its  legitimate  parents,"  had, 
in  the  course  of  seventy-five  years,  passed  through  various 
stages  of  military  incubation,  and  at  length  had  blos- 
somed out  into  an  enormous  tree,  whose  extended 
branches  covered  the  wide  area  of  an  entire  military 
department.  The  idea  seemed  ludicrous,  though  its  tend- 
ency was  full  of  danger  to  a  Government  with  the 
declared  policy  of  subordinating  the  military  to  the  civil 
power. 

Five  years  of  this  experiment  brought  such  a  pressure 
of  hostile  opinion  to  bear  upon  the  Administration,  that 
the  following  general  order  was  promulgated : 

*'  War  Department,  Washington,  July  13,  1882. 

"  I.  By  direction  of  the  President,  the  Military  Department  of 
West  Point  will  be  discontinued  September  i,  1882. 

"  II.  By  direction  of  the  President,  sections  i  and  2  of  article 
I  of  the  general  regulations  for  the  United  States  Military  Acad- 
emy are  hereby  amended  to  read  as  follows: 

"  I.  The  General  of  the  army,  under  the  War  Department, 
shall  have  supervision  and  charge  of  the  United  States  Military 


ABOLITIOiV  OF  WEST  POIiVT  DEPARTMENT.  263 

Academy.  He  will  watch  over  its  administration  and  discipline 
and  the  instruction  of  the  corps  of  cadets,  and  will  make  reports 
thereof  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

**  2.  The  superintendent,  and  in  his  absence  the  next  in  rank, 
shall  have  the  immediate  government  and  military  command  of 
the  Academy,  and  shall  be  commandant  of  the  military  post  of 
West  Point.  The  superintendent  will  render,  through  the  Adju- 
tant-General, to  the  General  of  the  army,  for  submission  to 
the  Secretary  of  War,  all  required  reports,  returns,  and  estimates 
concerning  the  Academy. 

"  Robert  T.  Lincoln,  Secretary  of  War." 

Comment  upon  this  order  will  be  reserved  for  another 
place.  Having  now  completed  a  somewhat  extended 
account  of  military  education  in  the  United  States  as  it 
has  been  connected  with  West  Point,  the  author  will  pro- 
ceed to  trace  its  further  development  in  the  direction  of 
special  naval  education,  which  finally  resulted  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Naval  Academy. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HISTORY   OF  NAVAL    EDUCATION     IN    THE    UNITED    STATES 

ORIGIN     OF     THE     NAVY    DEPARTMENT SEPARATION     OF 

THE   WAR  AND  NAVY    DEPARTMENTS FIRST   SUGGESTION 

OF    A    NAVAL     SCHOOL      BY     SECRETARY      m'hENRY THE 

FIRST    ACTUAL     PROVISION     FOR     NAVAL    EDUCATION,  JAN- 
UARY   2,     1813 REVIEW    OF    LEGISLATIVE     PROCEEDINGS 

governor's    ISLAND    SUGGESTED    AS   THE    SITE     FOR   A 

NAVAL      SCHOOL ATTEMPT      TO      OBTAIN      LEGISLATION 

BY     A     "rider"     defeated     IN     CONGRESS A      PASSING 

GLANCE    AT    THE     DEPARTMENT    BARNACLE EXPRESSIVE 

LANGUAGE  OF  THE   AMERICAN    SAILOR TABLE    SHOWING 

CONDITION    OF   NAVAL   SCHOOLS   IN    1 833. 

"T~T  is  not  necessary  to  the  present  purpose  to  enter 
-^  upon  a  consideration  of  the  Naval  Academy  with  the 
same  detail  of  statement  given  to  the  institution  at  West 
Point  in  the  preceding  pages.  The  subject  itself  does 
not  admit  of  this.  The  Academy  at  Annapolis  hardly 
numbers  half  the  years  of  the  older  school,  and,  from  the 
nature  of  the  two  branches  of  the  service,  it  must  be 
considered  of  less  importance.  Apart  from  this  consid- 
eration, the  author  has  now  to  say  that  it  is  not  his  pur- 
pose to  attack,  in  the  following  pages,  the  idea  of  prelim- 
inary training  and  preparatory  education  as  a  proper  basis 

upon  which  to  achieve  expertness  in  the  military  calling, 

264 


A  UTIIOR  BELIE  VES  IN  MILITAR  Y  TRAINING.  265 

but  simply  to  arraign,  in  the  strong  terms  that  he  beHeves 
the  subject  demands,  the  system  upon  which  both  institu- 
tions are  founded,  and  which  renders  them,  in  his  opinion, 
inimical  to  the  best  interests  of  republican  government. 

From  the  idea  of  a  trained  soldiery  to  that  of  a  trained 
marine  the  transition  was  no  less  rapid  than  natural. 
Although  the  early  records  are  very  deficient  in  respect 
of  the  sentiment  leading  up  to  the  institution  of  a  formal 
naval  school,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  suggestion 
of  an  army  school  far  back  in  the  first  years  of  the  Revo- 
lution went  hand  in  hand  with  that  for  the  establishment 
of  a  naval  academy.  So  closely  related  were  the  interests 
of  the  army  and  navy  considered  that  their  manage- 
ment was  at  first  confided  to  a  single  principal  official. 
On  August  7,  1789,  being  only  the  sixth  act  passed  by 
the  Congress  that  assembled  under  the  newly  adopted 
Constitution,  a  law  was  approved  entitled  "An  act  to 
establish  an  executive  department  to  be  denominated  the 
Department  of  War."  The  first  section  of  this  act  reads 
as  follows : 

^''  Be  it  enacted,  etc.,  That  there  shall  be  an  executive  depart- 
ment to  be  denominated  the  Department  of  War,  and  that  there 
shall  be  a  principal  officer  therein,  to  be  called  the  Secretary  for  the 
Department  of  War,  who  shall  perform  and  execute  such  duties  as 
shall  from  time  to  time  be  enjoined  on  or  entrusted  to  him  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  agreeably  to  the  Constitution, 
relative  to  military  commissions,  or  to  the  land  or  naval  forces, 
ships,  or  warlike  stores  of  the  United  States,  or  to  such  other 
matters  respecting  military  or  naval  affairs  as  the  President  of  the 
United  States  shall  assign  to  the  said  department,  or  relative  to 
the  granting  of  lands  to  persons  entitled  thereto,  for  military  ser- 
vices rendered  to  the  United  States,  or  relative  to  Indian  affairs; 


266  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

and  furthermore,  that  the  said  principal  officer  shall  conduct  the 
business  of  the  said  department  in  such  manner  as  the  President 
of  the  United  States  shall  from  time  to  time  order  or  instruct,"  etc. 

Under  this  act,  vesting  the  functions  of  what  subse- 
quently became  two  separate  departments  in  a  single 
executive  head,  General  Henry  Knox,  who  had  been  in 
charge  of  the  War  Department  since  1785,  was  appointed 
Secretary  of  War  and  of  the  Navy,  which  place  he  held 
until  the  year  1795,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Timothy 
Pickering  for  about  two  years,  and  the  latter  by  James 
VEcHenry  for  nearly  four  years.  On  April  30,  1798, 
Congress  passed  another  law  entitled  "An  act  to  estab- 
lish an  executive  department  to  be  denominated  the 
Department  of  the  Navy."  Section  5  of  this  act  repeals 
so  much  of  the  law  of  August  7,  1 789,  as  vests  any  charge 
of  naval  matters  in  the  Department  of  War.  The  two 
departments  of  War  and  of  the  Navy  thus  became  dis- 
tinct and  separate  in  their  functions  and  operations. 

No  official  suggestion  of  a  naval  school  appears  until 
the  submission  of  the  communication  of  Secretary  Mc- 
Henry  to  Congress,  bearing  date  of  January  13,  1800. 
This  paper  appears  in  full  in  the  preceding  pages.  By 
reference  to  the  paper  it  will  be  observed  that  the  Secre- 
tary recommends  the  establishment  of  four  schools,  viz.: 
The  Fundamental  School,  the  School  of  Engineers  and 
Artillerists,  the  School  of  Cavalry  and  Infantry,  and  the 
School  of  the  Navy.  He  recommends  that  the  naval 
school  be  provided  with  a  director,  a  professor  of  mathe- 
matics, a  professor  of  geography  and  natural  philosophy, 


M' HENRY'S  SCHOOL  OF  THE  NAVY.  267 

an  architect,   and  a  designing  and   drawing-master.     Of 
the  school  itself  he  speaks  as  follows  : 

**  The  School  of  the  Navy,  to  teach  those  appointed  to,  or 
destined  for  this  service  the  application  of  the  knowledge  acquired 
in  the  Fundamental  School  in  arithmetic,  algebra,  geometry, 
statics,  and  navigation.  To  this  end,  after  having  passed  exami- 
nation, they  shall  make  voyages  or  cruises  under  skillful  officers, 
for  certain  periods,  during  which  time  they  ought  to  be  exercised 
in  the  maneuvers  and  observations  most  useful  in  service,  and  to 
be  instructed  in  whatever  respects  rigging  of  vessels  of  war,  pilot- 
age, and  the  management  of  cannon." 

In  justice  it  should  be  here  remarked  that  the  able  pa- 
per submitted  by  Secretary  McHenry,  and  now  quoted,  has 
been  credited  to  Alexander  Hamilton,  who  was  said  to 
have  prepared  and  recommended  it  in  his  capacity  of 
Inspector-General  of  the  Army  under  Washington,  dur- 
ing the  period  when,  prompted  by  hostile  acts  of  the 
French  Directory,  the  army  was  reorganized  in  view  of 
the  probable  rupture  with  France. 

This  communication,  as  heretofore  stated,  was  fol- 
lowed as  a  sequitur  by  the  act  of  March  i6,  1802,  estab- 
lishing the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  but  no 
action  whatever  was  taken  looking  in  the  direction  of 
establishing  a  separate  naval  school  nor  of  creating  any 
naval  professorships  even  in  the  Military  Academy. 

In  the  report  of  Colonel  Jonathan  Williams  to  Presi- 
dent Jefferson  upon  the  condition  of  W^est  Point  as  it 
existed  in  the  year  1808,  which  report  has  also  been  re- 
produced in  this  volume,  the  reader  will  perceive  that, 
under  the  head  of  his  third  proposition  for  placing  the 


268  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

West  Point  school  upon  a  better  basis,  Colonel  Williams 
recommends  that  a  general  professorship  of  mathematics 
be  established,  and  that  to  this  branch  should  expressly 
belong  the  teaching  of  nautical  astronomy,  geography, 
and  navigation.  Nothing  came  of  this  recommendation, 
however,  in  the  way  of  legislation. 

Apart  from  the  frequent  suggestion  of  the  necessity  of 
a  naval  school,  the  subject  seems  to  have  slumbered  until 
the  second  war  with  Great  Britain  was  actually  upon  us. 
This,  of  course,  was  a  period  of  excitement,  when  every 
effort  was  made  to  develop  to  the  highest  degree  the  mili- 
tary strength  of  the  country,  both  upon  the  land  and  upon 
the  sea.  The  Academy  at  West  Point  received  its  first 
real  stimulus  from  the  hands  of  the  Government  through 
the  act  of  April  29,  181 2,  quoted  in  the  preceding  pages. 
Among  the  various  laws  made  during  the  first  seven 
months  after  the  declaration  of  existing  hostilities,  there 
is  an  act  that  authorized  a  measure  which  must  be  consid- 
ered the  germ  of  the  present  naval  school  in  its  very 
earliest  state  of  existence.  The  act  referred  to  is  that 
denominated  "An  act  to  increase  the  navy  of  the  United 
States,"  approved  January  2,  1813.  Section  i  of  the  act 
authorizes  the  President  to  cause  to  be  built  and 
equipped  four  ships  to  rate  not  less  than  twenty-four 
guns,  and  six  ships  to  rate  forty-four  guns  each.  Sections 
2,  3,  and  4  of  the  act  enumerate  the  complement  of  offi- 
cers of  all  classes  and  of  men  which  each  of  the  said  ships 
should  carry,  and  in  the  enumeration  of  officers  it  is 
stated    that    there    shall     be    one    schoolmaster,    to    be 


FIKSl  PROVISION  FOR  A  SCHOOLMASTER.  269 

appointed  by  the  captain.  Section  5  of  the  law  enacts 
that  the  pay  of  the  schoolmaster  shall  be  twenty-five 
dollars  per  month  and  two  rations  per  day. 

Though  this  provision,  as  above  remarked,  must  be 
considered  the  very  beginning,  or  rather  the  initial  point 
of  departure,  of  the  movement  which  has  since  found 
development  in  the  establishment  of  an  exclusive  naval 
school,  it  appears  from  the  records  that  the  idea  embraced 
in  the  appointment  of  a  regular  "schoolmaster,"  who  may 
be  said  to  have  been  "abroad"  both  as  regards  his  own 
person  and  the  results  upon  his  pupils,  did  not  tend  in  the 
particular  direction  of  a  specific  naval  education. 

In  those  days  there  were  large  numbers  of  boys 
attached  to  the  navy  as  midshipmen,  whose  appointment 
rested  upon  mere  executive  favor.  These  boys,  as  a  rule, 
had  had  but  a  very  limited  general  education,  and  it  was 
designed,  by  the  appointment  of  regular  schoolmasters, 
to  supply  this  deficiency  to  some  extent,  particularly  in 
the  direction  of  mathematics  and  of  languages. 

Under  the  authority  cited,  the  crude  attempt  at  a 
school  system  was  continued  for  a  period  of  twenty-five 
years  or  more. 

In  the  year  following  the  passage  of  the  act  of  Jan- 
uary 2,  18 1 3,  Secretary  William  Jones,  who  held  the  naval 
portfolio  under  President  Madison,  proposed  a  step  far  in 
advance  of  that  so  recently  taken.  Under  a  resolution  of 
the  Senate,  March  18,  18 14,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
was  directed  to  devise  and  digest  a  system  for  the  better 
organization   of    the    Department   of   the    Navy   of   the 


270  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

United  States.  In  compliance  with  this  direction,  Secre- 
tary Jones  submitted  a  lengthy  communication  upon  the 
subject  designated,  under  date  of  November  15,  1814. 
The  report  is  an  able  one,  and  embodies  the  outline  of  an 
act  "  for  the  better  organization  of  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment." In  the  report  under  consideration  Secretary 
Jones  takes  occasion  to  make  an  additional  recommenda- 
tion in  the  following  words : 

"  I  would  also  respectfully  suggest  the  expediency  of  provid- 
ing by  law  for  the  establishment  of  a  Naval  Academy,  with  suita- 
ble professors,  for  the  instruction  of  the  officers  of  the  navy  in 
those  branches  of  the  mathematics  and  experimental  philosophy, 
and  in  the  science  and  practice  of  gunnery,  theory  of  naval  archi- 
tecture, and  art  of  mechanical  drawing,  which  are  necessary  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  naval  officer." 

This  recommendation  met  with  no  responsive  move- 
ment upon  the  part  of  Congress.  The  usefulness  of  the 
Military  Academy  itself  at  West  Point  was  under  process 
of  being  tested,  and  the  time  was  not  ripe  for  the  inaugu- 
ration of  a  twin  institution. 

Some  eight  years  elapsed  before  any  further  action  of 
an  official  character  appears  to  have  been  taken.  The 
question  was  the  subject  of  much  discussion  in  the 
interim,  however,  and  especially  in  connection  with  the 
school  at  West  Point.  Under  date  of  December  2,  1822, 
Smith  Thompson,  then  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  submitted 
to  President  Monroe  the  "plan  of  a  peace  establishment 
for  the  navy  and  marine  corps."  This  document  was 
transmitted  by  the  President  under  date  of  December  6, 
1822,  with  a  special  message,  to  the   House  of  Represen- 


[ 


MOVEMENT  FOR  A  NAVAL  ACADEMY.  2^1 

tatives,  from  which  had  emanated  the  request  that  it  be 
prepared.  The  "plan"  was  also  accompanied  by  a  bill 
"to  fix  and  render  permanent  the  naval  peace  establish- 
ment of  the  United  States,"  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
report  itself  the  Secretary  uses  the  following  words : 

"Although,  perhaps,  not  falling  strictly  within  the  scope  of  the 
resolution,  yet  the  present  affords  a  fit  opportunity  of  respectfully 
suggesting  the  importance  of  establishing  a  naval  academy  for  the 
instruction  of  our  young  officers  in  the  sciences  connected  with 
their  profession.  As  this  is  intended  as  a  mere  suggestion  of  a 
measure  deserving  consideration,  I  have  not  thought  proper  to 
present  any  plan  for  carrying  it  into  effect.  This  may  be  done 
hereafter,  should  the  measure  meet  with  a  favorable  reception; 
nor  is  it  deemed  fit  for  me,  at  this  time,  to  urge  the  many  consid- 
erations which  will  readily  occur  to  all  liberal  and  enlightened 
minds  in  favor  of  such  an  institution." 

This  appeal  in  behalf  of  the  movement  fell  upon  ears 
as  deaf  as  those  receiving  a  similar  recommendation  eight 
years  prior  to  that  time.  No  action  whatever  was  taken 
upon  the  matter  by  Congress. 

The  next  official  attempt  to  carry  the  project  into 
execution  was  made  by  Samuel  L.  Southard,  of  New 
Jersey,  who  served  as  Secretary  of  the  Navy  from  Sep- 
tember 1 6,  1823,  till  March  9,  1829,  and  who  represented 
his  State  in  the  United  States  Senate  from  1833  to  1841, 
the  year  of  his  death,  having,  previously  to  entering  the 
Cabinet,  been  elected  to  the  same  position,  as  well  as  to 
others  of  high  distinction.  This  gentleman  was  the  most 
earnest  friend  of  the  measure  that  had  yet  appeared  in  its 
interest. 

As  far  as  the  author  is  aware,  the  history  of  the  move- 


272  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

ment  to  inaugurate  a  formal  school  in  the  United  States 
for  special  naval  education  has  not  been  written  with 
documentary  completeness;  and  partly  with  the  view  to 
place  the  subject  in  a  position  admitting  of  easy  reference 
by  those  particularly  interested  in  the  details,  the  author 
has  collected  the  scanty  material  relating  to  it,  and  with- 
out further  apology  to  his  readers  reproduces  it  in  full  in 
the  present  place. 

In  compliance  with  a  resolution  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives made  December  15,  1823,  Secretary  South- 
ard, under  date  of  January  24,  1824,  submitted  "a  plan 
for  reorganizing  the  naval  establishment."  In  recom- 
mending- an  increase  in  the  number  of  vessels  then  in 
service,  with  an  adequate  number  of  officers,  the  Secre- 
tary refers  to  the  matter  of  naval  education  in  the  follow- 
*ig  words : 

"  It  is  in  vain  to  hope  for  a  triumphant  defense  of  our  national 
interests  and  character,  then,  without  we  thoroughly  train,  edu- 
cate, and  discipHne  those  who  have  to  fight  our  battles.  To  insure 
such  a  defense  beyond  hazard,  it  is  confidently  believed  that  the 
nation  will  cheerfully  meet  the  requisite  expense.  Connected  with 
this  point,  it  is  not  improper  to  suggest  that  the  early  education  of 
most  of  our  officers  is  very  unequal  to  the  character  they  have  sub- 
sequently to  sustain,  and  that  an  effectual  remedy  can  be  found 
only  in  the  establishment  of  a  naval  school." 

For  the  two  hio-hest  rates  of  vessels  which  the  Secre- 
tary  recommends  in  his  report,  schoolmasters  are  to  be 
provided  with  the  pay  of  $30  per  month  instead  of  $25, 
as  under  the  act  of  1813.  In  support  of  this  increase,  the 
Secretary  remarks o  "Schoolmasters  are  proposed  for  the 
two  highest  rates  of  vessels,  and,  as  we  have  yet  no  school 


SECRETARY  SOUTHARD   ON  NAVAL  ACADEMY.  273 

for  the  instruction  of  young  officers,  and  as  the  duties  of 
the  chaplains,  both  as  clergymen  and  teachers,  demand 
purity  of  character,  enlargement  of  mind,  and  scientific 
attainments,  a  higher  salary  ($30  in  lieu  of  $25)  would  be 
useful  to  secure  the  services  of  those  who  are  worthy  of 
the  station." 

In  his  report  on  the  "condition  of  the  navy  and 
marine  corps,"  made  the  second  session  of  the  Eight- 
eenth Congress,  through  the  President,  and  dated 
November  i,  1824,  Secretary  Southard  again  brings  up 
the  subject  of  naval  education  as  follows : 

"  Several  laws  seem  necessary  to  render  the  establishment  eco- 
nomical and  efficient.  Among  them  are  those  which  were  under 
consideration  at  the  last  session,  for  building  ten  sloops-of-war  and 
reorganizing  the  navy.  To  these  ought  to  be  added  a  revision  of 
the  law  for  the  better  government  of  the  navy,  and  the  system  of 
courts-martial,  but  especially  some  provision  should  be  made  for 
the  education  and  instruction  of  the  younger  officers.  We  have 
now  the  light  of  experience  on  this  point  in  the  army,. and  its  sal- 
utary effects  are  very  manifest.  Instruction  is  not  less  necessary 
to  the  navy  than  to  the  army.  I  refer  to  the  views  taken  of  some 
of  these  subjects  in  the  reports  made  dunng  the  last  session,  and 
it  will  be  my  duty  to  develop  them  more  fully  in  answer  to  a  reso 
lution  of  the  Senate  now  before  me." 

No  result  having  follov/ed  these  appeals  for  legisla- 
tion, Secretary  Southard  invoked  the  aid  of  President 
John  Ouincy  Adams,  who  in  his  message  to  the  first  ses- 
sion of  the  Nineteenth  Congress,  in  December,  1825, 
alluded  to  the  subject  in  these  words: 

*  *  *  "The  rules  and  regulations  by  which  it  [the  navy]  is 
governed  earnestly  call  for  revision,  and  the  want  of  a  naval  school 
of  instruction,  corresponding  with  the  Military  Academy  at  West 


2  74  '^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Point,  for  the  formation  of  scientific  and  accomplished  officers,  is 
felt  with  daily  increasing  aggravation." 

In  his  report  dated  December  2,  1825,  and  trans- 
mitted to  Congress  by  the  President,  Secretary  Southard, 
in  commenting  upon  previous  recommendations  made  by 
himself,  is  disposed  to  take  a  rather  gloomy  view  of  naval 
affairs.     He  remarks  as  follows: 

"Without  an  organization  of  some  kind  —  without  a  revision 
of  our  penal  code,  and  of  our  rules  and  regulations  —  and  without 
a  naval  school,  tardy  amendments  may  be  made  in  the  naval  ser- 
vice and  in  its  administration,  but  it  is  in  vain  to  hope  for  speedy, 
useful,  and  very  practical  changes.  *  *  *  ^he  experience  of 
the  present  year  has  confirmed  most  strongly  the  views  taken  on 
all  the  subjects  mentioned  in  the  reports  to  which  I  refer  you." 

In  making  the  open  recommendation  to  establish  and 
locate  a  navai  school  at  Governor's  Island,  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  a  sum  of  $10,000  was  asked  in  order  that 
it  might  be  put  into  immediate  operation.  The  Secre- 
tary says  in  connection  therewith  : 

*  *  *  <t  -phe  younger  officers  [of  the  navy]  are  taken  from 
the  poor  who  have  not  the  means  of  a  good  education,  as  well  as 
the  rich  who  have.  They  enter,  from  the  nature  of  their  duties,  at 
so  early  an  age  that  they  cannot  be  accomplished  nor  even  moder- 
ately accurate  scholars.  They  are  constantly  employed  on  ship- 
board or  in  our  navy-yards,  where  much  advancement  in  learning 
cannot  be  expected.  The  better  instructed  or  more  intelligent  an 
officer  is,  the  more  skillfully  and  precisely,  and,  of  course,  the  more 
economically  will  he  perform  the  duties  assigned  to  him.  Ignor- 
ance is  always,  skill  is  never,  prodigal.  The  navy  is  also  the 
bearer  of  our  honor  and  fame  to  every  foreign  shore.  The  Ameri- 
can naval  officer  is,  in  fact,  the  representative  of  his  country  in 
every  port  to  which  he  goes,  and  by  him  is  that  country  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  estimated."  Etc. 


<  -i^  — B,ii,i!iiiiiijM?>'i|yt)))tiii^it)tpiipiiiiiijiiiijii(iiiiii('(wi»<g^^^         :r?>'^?.*;,/  '  y^ 


■'^^"^iasassi 


The  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis. 

I.  Cadet  Quarters.         2.   Dress-Parade.         3.   Physical  and  Chemical 
Laboratories — Practice  Fleet  in  Distance. 


VIEWS  OF  PRESIDENT  ADAMS.  275 

Considerable  discussion  of  the  subject  followed  this 
renewed  effort  to  obtain  favorable  legislation  in  behalf  of 
the  measure  now  being  considered.  No  other  result 
attended  it,  however,  as  Congress  again  adjourned  with- 
out adopting  any  law  upon  the  subject. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  second  session  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Congress,  President  John  Ouincy  Adams,  in  his 
annual  message  dated  December  5,  1826,  again  brings 
the  matter  before  the  body  when  speaking  of  the  necessi- 
ties of  the  navy  and  the  expediency  of  its  gradual 
increase.  The  reference,  which  is  neither  urgent  nor 
emphatic,  is  made  in  the  following  words : 

"  In  continuing  to  provide  for  the  gradual  increase  of  the  navy, 
it  may  not  be  necessary  or  expedient  to  add  for  the  present  any 
more  to  the  number  of  our  ships;  but  should  you  deem  it  advisa- 
ble to  continue  the  yearly  appropriation  of  half  a  million  to  the 
same  objects,  it  may  be  profitably  expended  in  providing  a  supply 
of  timber  to  be  seasoned,  and  other  materials  for  future  use,  in  the 
construction  of  docks,  or  in  laying  the  foundations  of  a  school  for 
naval  education,  as  to  the  wisdom  of  Congress  either  of  those 
measures  may  appear  to  claim  the  preference." 

Again  it  appeared  that  Congress  had  no  disposition 
to  entertain  the  project  of  a  school,  so  repeatedly  urged 
by  a  few  enthusiasts.  By  the  act  of  March  3,  1827,  the 
appropriation  for  a  supply  of  good  timber  (live  oak)  was 
promptly  made,  as  was  provision  also  for  certain  dry 
docks,  etc.  Determined,  however,  that  Congress  should 
not  again  adjourn  without  the  desired  legislation  in  favor 
of  an  academy,  Secretary  Southard  resolved  upon  the 
expedient  adopted  in  the  case  of  the  Academy  at  West 
Point,  when  all  effort  to  obtain  separate  legislation  had 


276  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

failed ;  that  is,  as  will  be  remembered,  to  tie  the  legisla- 
tion to  some  other  bill,  or,  in  more  modern  phraseology, 
to  put  it  on  as  a  "rider."  Accordingly,  when  the  act  of 
March  3,  1827,  entitled  "An  act  for  the  gradual  improve- 
ment of  the  navy  of  the  United  States,"  was  presented,  it 
embraced  several  sections  relating  to  the  establishment  of 
an  academy.     These  sections  were  as  follow : 

"Sec.  7.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he 
is  hereby  authorized  to  cause  to  be  established  a  Naval  Academy 
for  the  instruction  of  such  midshipmen  and  other  officers  in  the  navy 
of  the  United  States  as  may,  from  time  to  time,  be  attached  thereto. 

"Sec.  8.  That  the  said  Academy  shall  be  governed  by  such 
rules  and  regulations  as  shall,  from  time  to  time,  be  prescribed 
under  the  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United  States. 

"Sec  9.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he 
is  hereby  authorized  to  appoint  for  said  Academy  such  professors, 
assistant  professors,  ana  teachers,  as  may,  in  his  opinion,  be  neces- 
sary, who  shall  receive  such  pay  and  emoluments  as  are  now 
received  by  similar  professors,  assistant  professors,  and  teachers  at 
the  Military  Academy. 

"  Sec  10.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and  he 
is  hereby  authorized  to  cause  to  be  procured  such  books,  imple- 
ments, and  apparatus,  and  to  cause  to  be  erected  such  buildings  as 
may  be  necessary  and  proper  for  said  school.     And  to  cause  to  be 

purchased,  if  necessary,  a  quantity  of  land,  not  exceeding acres, 

to  include  the  site  selected  for  the  erection  of  said  buildings,  and 
to  procure  from  the  State  in  which  the  said  land  may  lie  the  juris- 
diction over  the  same. 

"Sec  II.  That  there  shall  be  laid  before  Congress,  at  their 
next  session,  a  list  of  the  professors,  assistant  professors,  and 
teachers  appointed  under  this  act,  with  the  compensation  allowed 
to  each,  the  number  of  students  admitted  into  the  Academy,  and 
the  rules  and  regulations  prescribed  for  its  government." 

When  this  bill  was  under  consideration  in  the  Senate, 
after  having  been  reported  from  the  committee  of   the 


DEFEA  T  OF  NA  VA  L  A CADEM  Y  BILL.  277 

whole,  Mr.  Smith,  of  South  CaroHna,  moved  to  amend 
by  striking  from  the  bill  the  sections  above  quoted.  This 
motion  w^as  lost  by  a  vote  of  24  nays  to  22  yeas.  The 
blank  was  filled  with  the  word  "ten,"  when  the  bill  was 
ordered  to  be  engrossed  and  read  a  third  time.  Upon 
February  17,  1827,  the  bill  came  up  in  order,  and  was 
duly  passed  by  the  Senate,  by  a  vote  of  28  yeas  and  18 
nays.  Senators  Thomas  H.  Benton  and  John  Branch,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  made  Secretary  of  the  Navy  two 
years  later,  voting  against  the  bill,  as  they  had  previously 
voted  to  strike  out  the  sections  authorizing  the  Naval 
Academy.  Senator  Levi  Woodbury,  who  became  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  in  183 1,  also  voted  against  the  bill  upon 
its  final  passage. 

The  bill  having  been  sent  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, it  was  returned  from  the  latter  body  with  three 
amendments,  the  last  of  which  proposed  to  strike  out  the 
provisions  for  the  establishment  of  a  Naval  Academy, 
which  amendment  was  carried  in  the  House  by  a  vote  of 
86  yeas  and  78  nays.  The  Senate  concurred  in  this 
amendment  by  a  vote  of  22  yeas  and  21  nays.  Senators 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  John  Branch,  Thomas  Clayton,  Mah- 
lon  Dickerson,  William  R.  King,  John  Randolph,  Martin 
Van  Buren,  and  Levi  Woodbury,  among  others,  voting  in 
the  affirmative. 

Thus  was  defeated,  by  a  direct  vote  of  Congress,  the 
effort  to  establish  a  Government  academy  for  the  educa- 
tion of  naval  officers.  It  had  long  been  talked  of  and 
recommended,  as  we  have  seen,  but  this  was  the  first 


2/8  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

opportunity  that  had  been  presented  to  Congress  whereby 
the  sentiment  of  its  members  might  be  ascertained 
through  official  expression.  The  friends  of  the  measure, 
among  whom  was  now  the  President,  John  Quincy 
Adams,  were  determined  not  to  abandon  the  attempt  to 
accomphsh  its  success.  Upon  the  assembUng  of  the  first 
session  of  the  Twentieth  Congress,  in  December,  1827,  the 
President  returned  with  increased  warmth  to  the  subject 
in  his  annual  message,  expressing  himself  in  the  following 
terms : 

"  The  establishment  of  a  Naval  Academy,  furnishing  the  means 
of  theoretic  instruction  to  the  youths  who  devote  their  lives  to  the 
service  of  their  country  upon  the  ocean,  still  solicits  the  sanction 
of  the  legislature.  Practical  seamanship  and  the  art  of  naviga- 
tion may  be  acquired  upon  the  cruises  of  the  squadrons  which 
from  time  to  time  are  dispatched  to  distant  seas,  but  a  competent 
knowledge  even  of  the  art  of  ship-building,  the  higher  mathe- 
matics, and  astronomy  —  the  literature  which  can  place  our  officers 
on  a  level  of  polished  education  with  the  officers  of  other  maritime 
nations  —  the  knowledge  of  the  laws,  municipal  and  national,  which 
in  their  intercourse  with  foreign  states  and  their  governments  are 
continually  called  into  operation  ;  and,  above  all,  that  acquaintance 
with  the  principles  of  honor  and  justice,  with  the  higher  obliga- 
tions of  morals,  and  of  general  laws,  human  and  divine,  which  con- 
stitute the  great  distinction  between  the  warrior-patriot  and  the 
licensed  robber  and  pirate  —  these  can  be  systematically  taught 
and  eminently  acquired  only  in  a  permanent  school,  stationed  upon 
the  shore  and  provided  with  the  teachers,  the  instruments,  and  the 
books  conversant  with  and  adapted  to  the  communication  of  the 
principles  of  these  respective  sciences  to  the  youthful  and  inquiring 
mind."     Etc. 

Notwithstanding  this  further  recommendation  of  the 
President,  followed  by  such  arguments  and  influences  as 
could  be  brought  to  bear  by  his  Secretary  of  the  Navy 


TKADITIONAI,  LEGACIES  OF  DEPARTMENTS.  2/9 

and  the  friends  of  the  measure  in  Congress,  the  matter 
received  no  official  action,  the  body  again  adjourned 
without  giving  sanction  to  the  strongly  pressed  Naval 
Academy,  and  Secretary  Southard  became  silent  for  several 
years  upon  the  subject. 

There  are  certain  state  measures  which  seem  to  attach 
themselves  to  a  particular  department  of  the  Government 
and  to  become,  as  it  were,  a  part  of  the  traditional  policy 
of  that  department.  These  measures  go  with  the  office 
and  have  no  binding  relation  to  the  officer.  They  are  a 
sort  of  heirloom,  handed  down  through  the  fitful  uncer- 
tainties of  official  existence  from  the  original  owner  to  the 
latest  incumbent.  The  Military  Academy  at  West  Point 
was  one  of  these  measures*  Its  conception  originated  in 
the  particular  department  to  which  its  activity  belongs, 
and  its  final  execution  was  accomplished,  after  several 
years  of  strong  effort,  purely  through  the  influence  of  the 
War  Department.  The  measure,  as  has  been  shown  in 
the  previous  pages,  was  resisted  with  much  obstinacy  by 
Congress,  but  it  was  finally  successful  through  the  per- 
sistence of  the  executive. 

The  project  for  a  Naval  Academy  was  also  one  of  the 
measures  spoken  of  above.  First  officially  suggested  by 
McHenry,  In  his  report  of  January  13,  1800,  it  was 
pressed  upon  the  attention  of  Congress  for  nearly  thirty 
years  by  various  Administrations  before  the  object  was 
fairly  accomplished.  Treated  with  neglect,  and  twice 
defeated  by  direct  vote  of  Congress,  success  was  at 
length  achieved  only  though  the  decisive  action  of  one 


28o  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

of  the  Naval  Secretaries,  who,  regardless  of  legislative 
action,  took  the  responsibility  of  establishing  the  school 
upon  his  own  authority,  though  this  was  shared,  of 
course,  by  his  colleagues  and  the  President. 

The  operation  of  the  influence  of  traditional  policy 
and  example  pertaining  to  an  executive  department  was 
curiously  shown  in  the  measure  now  occupying  our  atten- 
tion. The  Hon.  John  Branch,  as  United  States  Senator, 
was  strongly  opposed  to  the  sections  of  the  act  of 
March  3,  1827,  authorizing  the  establishment  of  a  naval 
school.  His  vote  is  recorded  with  those  who  endeavored 
to  strike  from  the  bill  those  sections.  He  subsequently 
voted  against  the  passage  of  the  act  after  the  Senate  had 
refused  to  strike  out  the  sections  referred  to.  Still  later 
he  voted  to  agree  with  the  House  amendment  to  the  bill, 
striking  out  the  obnoxious  sections,  and  finally  his  vote 
was  recorded  for  the  bill  after  the  sections  referred  to 
had  been  expunged.  With  this  record,  as  a  Senator, 
against  the  establishment  of  a  naval  school,  he  was 
appointed  two  years  later  to  be  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
under  President  Jackson,  that  is  to  say,  upon  March  9, 
1829.  Under  date  of  December  6,  1830,  he  made  his 
annual  report  to  the  President,  "showing  the  condition  of 
the  navy  in  the  year  1830,"  which  report  was  transmitted 
to  Congress  under  cover  of  the  Presidential  message. 
After  entering  the  atmosphere  of  the  Naval  Department, 
he  underwent  a  metamorphosis  of  views  strangely  illus- 
trative of  the  point  herein  suggested.  The  following 
quotation   from   the  report  referred  to,  when  contrasted 


CURIOUS  OFFICIAL  METAMORPHOSIS.  251 

with  his  course  upon  the  naval-academic  measure  while  in 
the  Senate,  will  at  least  call  forth  "  our  special  wonder- 
ment," even  should  it  fail  "  to  overcome  us  like  a  summer 
cloud": 

"As  a  measure  tending  to  give  reputation  and  efficiency  to  the 
navy,  the  cultivation  of  the  minds  of  those  who  ai'e  to  compose  its 
active  members  is  a  subject  of  great  national  interest.  It  is  a  fact 
which  will  not  be  questioned,  that  the  early  education  of  the  offi- 
cers of  the  navy  is  entirely  unequal  to  the  character  they  have  sub- 
sequently to  sustain. 

*'  Few  appointments  under  the  Government  involve  a  necessity 
for  more  general  and  scientific  attainments.  As  officers  of  the 
navy,  they  are  required  to  act  as  judges  of  the  law  and  evidence 
on  trials  of  their  brother  officers  for  offenses  affecting  the  lives  and 
characters  of  the  accused;  as  commanders  of  ships,  they  should 
possess  not  only  a  practical  acquaintance  with  seamanship,  but  an 
accurate  knowledge  of  those  branches  of  mathematics  connected 
with  the  science  of  navigation,  with  astronomy  and  geography; 
and  as  commanders  of  fleets  or  squadrons,  they  must  be  well 
informed  on  all  points  of  international  law  having  reference  to  the 
rights  of  neutrals  and  belligerents,  the  often-recurring  question 
of  the  rights  of  blockade,  and  other  interdictions  of  intercourse 
between  powers  standing  in  this  relation  to  each  other;  to  possess 
an  accurate  acquaintance  with  the  modern  languages,  to  enable 
them  to  enter  into  discussions  on  points  of  difference  which  may 
arise  with  the  representatives  of  foreign  states  speaking  such  for- 
eign language;  and  it  may  often  happen  that  the  communications 
can  only  be  made  advantageously  in  the  language  of  the  party 
with  whom  the  subject  of  dispute  may  exist.  The  sons  of  the 
wealthy  may  obtain  these  advantages  from  the  bounty  of  their 
parents,  but  without  the  aid  of  public  instruction  how  are  the  sons 
of  the  less  affluent  to  become  qualified  to  command  in  the  naval 
service  ? 

"  It  may  be  further  remarked  that  while  a  school  on  the  most 
liberal  and  comprehensive  plan  of  instruction  has  been  provided 
for  the  military  talent  of  the  country,  and  has  been  endowed  with 
every  attribute  for  the  advancement  of  the  education  of  the  youth 


282  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

who  aspire  to  a  share  In  the  toils  or  honors  of  a  military  life,  the 
only  provision  which  has  been  authorized  by  law  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  midshipmen  in  the  navy  is  to  be  found  in  the  allowance 
of  twenty-five  dollars  per  month  to  the  schoolmasters  retained  on 
board  the  larger  vessels  of  war." 

When  we  reflect  upon  the  fact  that  the  authorization 
for  a  naval  school  upon  a  basis  similar  to  that  of  the 
Academy  at  West  Point  was  only  defeated  by  a  single 
vote  in  the  United  States  Senate,  about  three  years 
before,  and  that  that  vote  was  given  by  Senator  John 
Branch,  the  position  of  Secretary  John  Branch  may 
appear  rather  anomalous  to  the  ordinary  reader.  If,  how- 
ever, he  should  take  the  pains  to  survey  the  hull  of  the 
good  ship  in  which  the  Department  of  the  Navy  floats 
and  makes  its  interesting  cruises,  he  could  hardly  fail  to 
discover  the  old-time  barnacle  attached  thereto,  which  had 
been  making  stereotyped  reports  upon  divers  matters,  yea, 
for  many  a  year.  It  is  true  that  the  argument  to  prove 
the  necessity  of  instructing  our  naval  officers  in  modern 
languages,  in  order  that  they  might  be  enabled  "to  enter 
into  discussions  on  points  of  difference  which  may  arise 
with  the  representatives  of  foreign  states  speaking  such 
foreign  language,"  and  especially,  it  may  be  added,  if  the 
foreigners  persisted  in  speaking  such  foreign  language,  is 
at  least  original,  if  not  strong,  and  new,  if  not  convincing. 
In  181 2,  in  1846,  in  1861,  and  for  a  few  years  succeeding 
those  dates,  American  naval  officers  held  pretty  animated 
"discussions"  with  the  representatives  of  foreign  states. 
But  it  is  believed  that  their  "communications"  were  not 
made  in  the  particular  language  of  the  party  with  whom 


FA  IL  URK  OF  SE  CRE  TA  R  Y  BRA  yCH.  283 

the  "dispute"  existed.  It  is  somewhat  to  be  feared, 
indeed,  that  many  of  our  gallant  tars,  unused  to  schools 
and  unlearned  in  languages,  spoke  with  much  abruptness 
through  iron  throats  and  in  thunder-toned  voices. 

To  the  observer  of  today  it  would  appear  that  this 
last  argument,  emanating  from  a  naval  authority  as  distin- 
guished as  Secretary  Branch,  must  have  operated  to  extin- 
guish all  further  opposition,  and  that  as  a  consequence  the 
long-desired  Naval  Academy  would  have  been  established 
at  once.  To  be  sure,  the  Secretary  was  a  lawyer  by  profes- 
sion, and  had  never  seen  a  ship  until  he  took  command 
of  the  American  navy  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac.  But 
it  is  credibly  recorded  that  he  had  seen  the  sea  upon  more 
than  one  occasion,  and  that,  if  he  had  never  smelt  powder, 
he  had  at  least  scented  salt  air.  The  truth  must  be 
stated,  however,  without  evasion  or  attempt  at  palliation. 
Congress  remained  as  obdurate  as  before ;  Secretary 
Branch's  recommendation  fell  as  unheeded  as  the  strokes 
from  the  clock  of  time,  and  it  must  be  confessed  that  there 
now  exist  just  grounds  for  the  belief  that  Congress  had 
arrived  at  an  appalling  conclusion,  viz.:  that  the  public 
interest  would  be  promoted  if  the  barnacle  before  alluded 
to  as  the  standard  report-maker  of  the  navy  ashore,  and 
whose  name,  as  it  appears  by  the  register,  was  Root,  were 
swept  out  with  his  chief  from  the  Government  marine- 
garden,  Root  and  Branch,  so  to  put  it. 

Four  years  again  passed  without  further  ofificial 
attempt  to  establish  the  Academy.  The  expediency  of 
the  measure,  however,  was  constantly  discussed.     It  was 


284 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


a  sort  of  ghost  that  would  not  down.  Under  date  of 
December  26,  1833,  in  response  to  a  request  from  the 
House  Naval  Committee,  Hon.  Levi  Woodbury,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  from  1831  to  1833,  furnished  the  chair- 
man the  following  table  of  information  concerning  the 
state  of  naval  education  at  that  date. 

The  naval  schools,  so-called,  it  may  be  here  remarked, 
embraced  simply  the  schools  on  board  the  larger  ships, 
taught  by  schoolmasters  employed  under  the  law  of  Jan- 
uary 2,  1813. 

Table  V. 

Statement  of  the  actual  condition  of  the  naval  schools  as  at  present  organ- 
ized, the  number  and  character  of  the  professors  employed,  of  youths 
instructed,  and  the  anjiual  expenditure  to  maintain  them. 


Number  and  Character 
of  Professors. 

Nutnber  of 
Youths  In- 
structed. 

An7jual  Ex- 
pense, Pay, 
etc. 

Contingencies, 

Boston, 
One   teacher  of  mathematics 
and  languages 

, 6  .    ... 

$981.75 

j  981.75 
\  662,50 

981.75 

Small  amount  for  books, 
instruments,  and  sta- 
tionery.     Amount  not 

New  York, 
One  teacher  of  mathematics, 
one  teacher  of  languages  . . 

IK 

given. 

Quarters  or  rooms  as 
furnished  in  receiving- 
ships. 

Norfolk. 
One   teacher  of  mathematics 
and  languages 

ai 

Total 

52 

$3,607.75 

From  this  table  it  will  appear  that  in  the  year  1833 
there  were  instructed  fifty-two  youths  at  an  expense  of 


CONDITION  OF  NA  VAL  SCHOOLS  IN  1833.  285 

$3,607.75,  being  at  the  rate  of  $69.38  per  pupil  annually. 
That  was  cheap  education. 

But  these  were  naval  schools  in  name  only.  They 
had  no  feature  of  an  academy.  They  were  not  at  all 
representative  of  the  institution  which,  through  its  friends, 
had  been  pounding  upon  the  doors  of  Congress  for  so 
long.  They  were  the  germs  spoken  of  in  preceding 
pages  of  the  later  establishment,  whose  advent,  though 
prayed  for,  had  not  occurred  as  yet.  The  birth  of  the 
twin  of  the  West  Point  Academy  was  destined  to  be 
"somewhat  delayed." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

REPORT    OF    THE    COMMITTEE    ON    NAVAL    AFFAIRS,    JAN.    3, 

18.34 ANOTHER      FAILURE.   TO       SECURE       LEGISLATION 

ESTABLISHING       A       NAVAL       ACADEMY MEMORIAL       OF 

NAVAL    OFFICERS    IN    1 836 SENATOR     SOUTHARD's     BILL 

TO     LOCATE     A     SCHOOL     AT     FORTRESS      MONROE      PASSES 

THE     SENATE,     BUT     FAILS     IN     THE     HOUSE SECRETARY 

UPSHUR's      REPORT BILL     OF      SECRETARY     BAYARD,     OF 

DELAWARE REPORT       IN      CONNECTION      THEREWITH 

ANOTHER    FAILURE    TO    OBTAIN    LEGISLATION. 

WITH  the  table  given  at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter, 
together  with  some  relating  documents,  as  a  basis, 
Mr.  Watmough,  from  the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs, 
made  a  report  to  the  House  of  Representatives,  under 
date  of  January  3,  1834,  upon  the  subject  of  naval  schools, 
and  accompanied  it  with  a  proposed  bill,  House  Bill  No. 
127.  This  bill,  however,  as  it  would  seem,  was  not  designed 
to  renew  the  attempt  to  establish  a  Naval  Academy,  but 
simply  to  improve  the  method  of  instruction  then  in  actual 
operation.  This  report  is  interesting  as  illustrative  of 
the  state  of  the  educational  movement  at  the  date  of  its 
writing.      It  is,  therefore,  given  in  full  as  follows  : 

''The  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  to  which  the  subject  was 
referred,  report :  The  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  taking  into 
consideration    the   condition  of    the    naval    schools    as    at   present 

286 


THE  REPORT  OF  MR.    WATMOUGII.  28/ 

established  at  Boston,  New  York,  and  Norfolk,  and  their  inade- 
quacy to  effect  the  object  proposed,  deem  it  a  duty  to  present  to 
the  House  the  accompanying  bill.  It  is  presumed  no  one  will 
question  the  vital  importance  of  these  institutions  to  the  service, 
both  as  it  respects  the  well-being  of  the  junior  officers  and  their 
future  usefulness  to  their  country. 

"  By  the  subjoined  letter  (A)  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  it 
will  be  found  that  there  are  450  midshipmen  in  service.  Of  these 
about  one-half  are  supposed  to  be  at  sea,  one-fifth  on  duty  at  shore 
stations,  and  the  remaining  135  are  on  leave,  waiting  orders,  on 
furlough,  or  sick.  Admitting  that  of  the  latter  class  35  are  sick, 
and  this  would  seem  to  be  a  very  large  proportion,  there  still 
remain  one  hundred  youths  left  entirely  to  their  own  guidance,, 
freed  from. those  restraints  so  essential  to  their  period  of  life,  and 
subject  alone  to  the  influences  of  their  own  ardent  impulses.  The 
consequences  are  in  too  many  instances  fatal.  It  is  believed  to  be 
the  duty,  as  it  assuredly  is  within  the  competency  of  Congress,  to 
arrest  the  evils  resulting  from  this  state  of  affairs.  The  appropria- 
tions called  for  in  the  bill,  under  the  judicious  management  of  the 
Secretary,  will  effect  much.  The  third  and  fourth  sections  of  the 
bill,  which  provide  an  increase  of  the  pay  of  the  two  respectable' 
grades  of  the  service,  the  chaplains  and  schoolmasters,  it  is  hoped 
to  have  the  effect  to  enhance  greatly  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  the  appropriations,  while  in  truth  they  do  no  more  than  the 
original  intention  of  Congress  in  creating  those  grades  by  placing 
them  on  a  footing  consistent  with  their  dignity  and  usefulness. 
Their  present  rate  of  pay  is  admitted  on  all  hands  to  be  entirely 
insufficient.  A  reference  to  the  annexed  letter  of  the  Secretary, 
marked  B,  with  its  accompanying  statement  (A)  shows  the  actual 
condition  of  the  schools,  the  amount  expended  from  the  contingent 
fund,  but  under  no  law,  and  the  limited  number  of  youths  who  are 
enabled  to  avail  themselves  of  what  benefits  do  result.  It  is  true 
the  department  has  lately  issued  an  order  requiring  all  midshipmen 
not  otherwise  employed  to  repair  to  some  one  of  these  schools;  but 
as  the  Government  does  not  feel  itself  authorized  to  allow  the 
traveling  expenses  incidental  to  such  order,  few  will  be  able  to 
avail  themselves  of  its  benefits.  The  fifth  section  of  the  bill  is 
intended  to  obviate  this  difficulty.  If,  however,  the  whole  number 
should   repair,  as  required,  it  will  only  afford  an  additional  and 


255  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

paramount  obligation   for  the  passage  of  the  bill.     All  which  is 
most  respectfully  submitted." 

The  bill  of  the  Naval  Committee  was  x^d^di,  pro  forma, 
a  first  and  second  time,  and  then  referred  to  the  com- 
mittee of  the  whole.  This  was  the  only  reference  it 
received,  however,  as  it  was  never  referred  to  again  in 
Congress.  It  was  buried  beyond  resurrection,  the  most 
diligent  search  having  failed  to  unearth  it  at  the  present 
time.  Whether  this  resulted  as  a  consequence  of  Mr. 
Watmough's  unfortunate  use  of  language,  which  made 
him  say  that  the  chaplains  and  schoolmasters  exclusively 
represented  the  "two  respectable  grades  of  the  service," 
or  of  the  indisposition  of  Congress  to  legislate  further 
upon  the  subject  of  naval  education,  cannot  now  be  deter- 
mined. 

The  next  effort  in  the  order  of  events  was  made  by 
an  old  friend  of  the  project,  the  ex-Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  Samuel  L.  Southard,  who  had  been  reelected  in 
1833  to  represent  the  State  of  New  Jersey  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  and  who  in  1841  became  the  President  of 
that  body.  The  subject  was  brought  up  on  a  memorial 
of  naval  ofihcers,  which,  as  possessed  of  historical  interest, 
is  here  given  in  full : 

"Twenty-fourth  Congress  —  First  Session. 

'■'■Resolutions  of  a  Meeting  of  Sundry  Officers  of  the  Navy  to  Obtain  the 
Establish7?ient  of  a  Naval  School,  April  23,  1836.  Referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  commissioned  and  warrant  officers  of  the 
United  States  ship  Constitution,  held  on  board,  for  the  purpose  of 


MEMORIAL  OF  NA  VAL  OFFICERS.  289 

concerting  measures  to  effect  the  establishment  of  a  Naval  Acad- 
emy, the  followmg  preamble  and  resolutions  were  unanimously 
agreed  to. 

"  Whereas,  Having  ever  felt  the  most  ardent  desire  to  prosecute 
successfully  the  profession  to  which  we  are  devoted,  to  advance  the 
interests  of  the  navy,  and  to  perpetuate  the  commercial  prosperity 
of  our  common  country,  consigned  in  part  to  our  safe  keeping;  and 
taught,  by  the  experience  of  the  past,  that  neither  industry  nor 
talent  can  spare  the  advantages  offered  by  early  education;  earn- 
estly desirous  of  the  means  of  securing  it,  and  deploring  the  inade- 
quacy of  the  existing  system  to  accomplish  either  the  object  of  the 
Government  or  to  meet  our  heartfelt  wishes  for  professional 
instruction;  and  believing,  as  we  do,  that  a  respectful  representa- 
tion of  the  anxious  hopes  which  the  entire  navy  have  ventured  to 
indulge  for  so  many  years,  and  to  the  consummation  of  which  they 
look  with  the  deepest  interest,  will  receive  the  consideration  to 
which  so  excellent  an  object  is  entitled,  and  find,  from  liberal 
authorities,  that  indulgence  which  is  ever  acceded  to  generous 
aspirations  and  laudable  exertions;   we  have,  therefore, 

"  I.  Resolved,  That  we  deem  education  to  be  of  peculiar 
importance  to  the  sea  officer;  and  that,  amid  the  progressive 
improvements  in  the  arts  and  sciences  which  distinguish  the  pres- 
ent age,  the  military  marine  would  be  most  conspicuous,  if  guided 
in  its  advance  by  the  lights  of  education. 

"2.  Resolved,  That  we  look  to  the  establishment  of  a  naval 
school  as  the  only  means  of  imparting  to  the  officers  of  the  navy 
that  elementary  instruction  and  scientific  knowledge  which,  at  the 
present  day,  has  become  almost  indispensable  to  the  military  sea- 
man. 

"3.  Resolved,  That,  from  the  circumstances  arising  in  part 
from  professional  causes,  the  ship's  schoolmasters  can  rarely,  if 
ever,  impart  such  elementary  or  scientific  knowledge,  or  advance 
the  education  of  the  naval  officer;  and  that  were  the  office  abso- 
lutely abolished  (of  so  little  utility  it  is)  no  evil  would  arise  there- 
from. 

"  4.  Resolved^  That,  believing  the  expense  incurred  by  Govern- 
ment, in  providing  ship's  schoolmasters  and  professors  of  mathe- 
matics, for  the  benefit  of  the  junior  officers  of  the  navy  (and  from 
which  little  or  no  advantage  is  derived),  would  liberally  sustain  a 


290 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


scientific  institution,  we  should  see  with  pleasure  said  funds 
directed  to  the  establishment  and  support  of  a  naval  school. 

"5.  Resolved,  That  copies  of  the  proceedings  be  furnished  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  with  the  request  that  he  will  lend  his 
countenance  and  support  to  our  undertaking. 

"  6.  Resolved,  That  we  will,  severally  and  collectively,  use  our 
most  strenuous  exertions  to  effect  an  object  so  dear  to  us,  and 
which  promises  to  confer  so  much  dignity  upon  the  navy,  so  much 
honor  on  our  beloved  country, 

"  7.  Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  ten  be  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  the  subject,  and  conduct  it  to  its  final  disposition. 

"  8.  Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  be  requested  to 
lay  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  resolutions  before  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  a  copy  of  them  be  sent  to  the  chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs  in  the  Senate  and  in  the  House  of 
Representatives. 


J.  B.  Montgomery,  Lieut. 

F.  Ellery,  Lieut. 

Isaac  Brinkerhoff,  Asst.  Surg. 
Edward  C.  Rutledge,  Lieut. 

G.  F.  Pearson,  Lieut. 
James  Ferguson,  Master. 
Thos.  Theo,  Sloan,  Lieut.  Mar. 
Leovin  Mynn  Powell,  Lieut, 
Thomas  L  Boyd,  Surg. 

James  Everett,  Chaplain. 
Henry  Etting,  Purser. 
Jos,  L.  C.  Hardy, 

Lieut.  U.  S.  Marine  Corps. 
Montgomery  Lewis, 

Passed  Midshipman. 
J.  W.  Revere,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Chas.  Crillon  Barton, 

Passed  Mids'n. 
Jas.  B.  Lewis,  Mids'n. 
R.  Lloyd  Tilghman,  Mids'n. 
John  N.  Maffit,  Mids'n. 
Geo.  T.  Sinclair,  Mids'n. 


Geo.  W,  Randolph,  Midshipman. 
John  F.  Mercer,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Francis  S.  Haggerty,  Mids'n, 
B.  F.  Shattuk,  Mids'n. 

E.  E.  Rogers,  Mids'n. 
Stephen  D.  Trenchard,  Mids'n. 
A.  HuBLEY  Jenkins,  Mids'n. 

W.  T.  Muse,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Jas.  F.  Duncan,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Fred'k  Oakes,  Jr.,  Passed  Mids'n. 
W.  C.  Nicholson,  Lieut. 

F.  A.  Neville,  Lieut. 

Jas.  M.  Berrien,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Chas.  Steedman,  Passed  Mids'n. 
James  L,  Henderson. 

Passed  Mids'n. 
Francis  P.  Hoban,  Mids'n. 
Jas.  W,  Cooke,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Wm.  Radford,  Passed  Mids'n. 
Wm.  Ronckerdorff,  Mids'n. 
Robt.  Woodworth,  Asst.  Surg. 


ACTION  OF  CONGRESS  UPON  MEMORIAL.  29  I 

"The  undersigned  officers  of  the  United  States  ship  Vandalia 
concur  entirely  in  the  above  preamble  and  resolutions. 

Thos.  T.  Webd,  Master  Com,  Fayette  Meynard,  Mids'n. 

E.  T.  Doughty,  Lieut.  Francis  Alexander,  Mids'n. 

Isaac  N.  Brown,  Mids'n.  S.  C.  Rowan,  Acting  Master. 

Thos.  W.  Gumming,  Mids'n.  M.  C.  Walkins,  Mids'n. 

Edwin  A.  Drake,  Mids'n.  Wm.  M.  Walker,  Passed  Mids'n, 

Wm.  Plumstead,  Surg.  Wm.  Smith,  Lieut. 

R.  N.  Stembel,  Mids'n.  C.  A.  Hassler,  Asst.  Surg. 

E.  Musson,  Mids'n.  J  as.  Brooks,  Purser." 

This  memorial,  having  been  presented  to  Congress, 
was  referred  to  the  appropriate  committee  for  consider- 
ation. Of  this  committee  ex-Secretary  Southard  was 
chairman.  Under  the  proceedings  of  the  Senate,  dated 
May  14,  1836,  the  following  record  appears  : 

"Mr.  Southard,  from  the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  to  whom 
certain  resolutions  adopted  at  a  meeting  of  commissioned  and 
warrant  officei-s  of  the  navy  were  referred,  made  a  report,  accom- 
panied by  a  bill  (No.  262)  to  establish  a  Naval  Academy.  Read  and 
passed  to  a  second  reading." 

From  the  proceedings  of  the  Senate  upon  Thursday, 
June  30,  we  learn  that  the  bill  was  read  a  second  time  and 
considered  as  in  committee  of  the  whole.  The  result 
of  this  consideration  was  that,  upon  the  motion  of 
Senator  Southard  himself,  the  bill  was  ordered  to  lie 
upon  the  table,  and,  like  his  predecessor's  in  the  House 
(Mr.  Watmough's),  it  was  never  heard  of  again.  The 
bill  was  similar  in  features  to  that  of  1827,  which  Mr. 
Southard  had  so  earnestly  endeavored  to  have  passed 
while  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

Up  to  this  date,  then,  naval  education  remained  as 


292  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

heretofore  stated,  being  committed  to  the  charge  of 
teachers  who  maintained  a  sort  of  irregular  school  upon 
board  of  the  receiving-ships.  Under  the  act  originally 
authorizing  their  appointment  they  were  termed  "school- 
masters," and  their  pay  was  fixed  at  $25  per  month. 
This  pay  was  provided  for  out  of  the  general  contingency 
fund,  no  specific  appropriation  therefor  being  made  in 
the  general  naval  appropriation  bills.  In  the  act  of 
March  3,  1835,  entitled  "An  act  to  regulate  the  pay 
of  the  navy  of  the  United  States,"  the  school- 
masters are  specifically  provided  for  in  the  pay-list,  and, 
through  the  process  of  evolution,  which  pertains  to 
things  marine  as  well  as  to  things  terrestrial,  the  simple 
dominie  became  a  professor  of  mathematics  with  an  ap- 
propriated salary  of  $1,200  per  year  "when  attached  to 
vessels  for  sea  service  or  in  a  yard."  By  the  same  act  the 
pay  of  midshipmen  was  fixed  as  follows :  When  attached 
to  vessels  for  sea  service,  $400  per  year ;  when  on  other 
duty,  $350 ;  and  when  on  leave  of  absence  or  waiting 
orders,  $300  per  year. 

After  the  second  failure  of  Mr.  Southard,  in  1836,  to 
accomplish  creative  legislation  for  a  Naval  Academy,  the 
friends  of  the  measure  remained  quiescent  until  the  ap- 
pointment of  the  Hon.  Abel  P.  Upshur  to  be  Secretary 
of  the  Navy,  the  portfolio  of  which  he  held  from  Septem- 
ber 13,  1 84 1,  until  July  24,  1843,  nearly  two  years. 

Secretary  Upshur,  in  his  first  report,  under  date  of 
December  4,  1841,  renewed  the  recommendations  in  favor 
of  special  naval  education.     In  this  document  he  says: 


SECRE  TARY  UPSHUR '  S  RECOMMEND  A  TIONS.  293 

"The  propriety  of  establishing  naval  schools  has  frequently 
been  submitted  to  the  consideration  of  Congress.  I  again  respect- 
fully bring  it  to  your  notice,  as  a  subject  of  increasing  interest  to 
the  navy.  The  use  of  steam  vessels  in  war  will  render  necessary 
a  different  order  of  scientific  knowledge  from  that  which  has  here- 
tofore been  required.  If  our  navy  should  be  increased  by  the 
addition  of  any  considerable  number  of  steam  vessels,  engineers 
will  form  an  important  class  of  naval  officers.  It  will  be  necessary 
to  assign  to  them  an  appropriate  rank,  and  to  subject  them  to  all 
the  laws  of  the  service.  Great  care  should  be  used  in  the  selection 
of  them,  because  a  great  deal  will  depend  upon  their  skill  and 
competency;  hence,  it  is  necessary  that  they  should  pass  through 
a  prescribed  course  of  instruction,  and  that  the  Government  should 
have  the  proof  of  their  competency  which  an  examination  con- 
ducted under  their  own  rules  would  afford.  The  important  object 
can  best  be  attained  by  the  establishment  of  naval  schools  pro- 
vided with  all  the  necessary  means  of  uniting  practice  with  theory. 
The  advantages  which  the  army  has  derived  from  the  Academy  at 
West  Point  afford  a  sufficient  proof  that  a  similar  institution  for 
the  navy  would  produce  like  results. 

"In  connection  with  this  subject  I  would  ask  your  attention  to 
the  situations  of  the  professors  of  mathematics  now  employed  in 
the  service.  This  useful  class  of  men  have  no  permanent  connec- 
tion with  the  navy,  but  are  called  in  only  as  their  services  are 
needed,  and  are  not  paid  except  when  on  actual  duty.  The  conse- 
quence is  that  they  cannot  rely  on  this  employment  for  their  sup- 
port, and  are  often  reluctantly  driven  to  other  pursuits.  It  is  to 
be  presumed  that  men  whose  talents  and  attainments  qualify  them 
to  be  teachers  in  the  navy  are  equally  qualified  to  be  teachers  on 
land;  and  as  this  latter  is  the  less  precarious  position,  the  best 
qualified  will  be  apt  to  seek  it.  Hence,  the  department  cannot 
rely  with  any  assurance  on  being  able  to  command  suitable  pro- 
fessors at  all  times  when  their  services  may  be  required.  It  is,  I 
think,  of  great  importance  that  some  provision  should  be  made 
upon  this  subject.  I  also  recommend  that  a  certain  rank  or  posi- 
tion be  given  to  the  professors,  which  will  relieve  them  of  the 
necessity  of  messing  and  sleeping  with  their  pupils.  This  close 
and  constant  association  is  well  calculated  to  weaken  the  respect 
and   influence  which  their  relation  to  the  young  officer  ought  to 


294  "^^^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

inspire,  and  which  is  absolutely  necessary  to  give  due  effect  to 
their  instructions.  I  doubt  whether  their  services  upon  the  pres- 
ent system  are  worth  the  money  which  they  cost,  although  they 
would  be  highly  valuable  under  proper  regulations."     Etc. 

In  accordance  with  these  recommendations,  a  bill  was 
prepared  by  Secretary  Upshur,  authorizing  the  establish- 
ment of  a  naval  school  to  be  located  at  or  near  Fortress 
Monroe,  which  bill  was  passed  by  the  Senate  but  failed 
in  further  progress,  through  lack  of  action  in  the  House. 
It  has  been  claimed  that  this  inaction  was  the  result  of  a 
want  of  time ;  but  this,  manifestly,  was  not  the  case,  as 
other  portions  of  the  Secretary's  report  received  full 
attention.  In  compliance  with  his  suggestions,  the  act  of 
August  31,  1842,  was  passed,  enacting  "That  professors 
of  mathematics  in  the  navy  of  the  United  States  shall  be 
entitled  to  live  and  mess  Vi^ith  the  lieutenants  of  sea-going 
and  receiving  vessels,  and  shall  receive  such  rations  as 
lieutenants  of  the  same  ship  or  station  shall  receive ; "  and 
also  the  act  authorizing  the  appointment  of  engineers 
and  assistants  in  the  navy  on  steam  vessels. 

The  fact  is  that  the  bill  authorizing  the  naval  school 
could  not  pass  the  House  because  of  the  opposition 
thereto.  In  his  report  of  one  year  later,  however — 
December,  1842  —  Secretary  Upshur  returned  to  the  sub- 
ject of  the  school  with  much  zeal.  The  report  now 
referred  to  is  one  of  the  ablest  in  our  navy  records.  It 
displays  knowledge  of  the  subject  to  which  it  is  devoted, 
originality  of  thought,  and  presents  few  or  no  traces  of 
the  department  barnacle,  which,  perhaps,   by  this   time, 


THE   PERSONNEL    OF   THE  NAVY. 


295 


had  been  Root-ed  out.  As  representing  the  condition  of 
the  navy  at  that  period,  as  well  as  forming  part  of  the 
history  of  naval  education,  now  being  studied,  the  report 
is  worthy  of  being  reproduced  entire  in  these  pages,  did 
the  space  permit.  The  author  must  content  himself, 
however,  with  a  liberal  quotation  from  this  interesting 
document. 

In  speaking  of  the  subject  of  needed  reforms  in  this 
branch  of  the  service,  Secretary  Upshur  touches  the 
matter  of  the  personnel  of  the  navy,  embracing  within  it 
the  question  of  a  school,  in  the  following  manner : 

"  Th.Q^  personnel  of  the  navy  is  a  subject  of  much  deeper  interest, 
although  it  presents  no  greater  difficulties.  That  abuses  exist,  and 
that  the  public  eye  is  occasionally  offended  with  displays  of  dis- 
reputable behavior,  is  not  surprising.  Such  things  might  be 
expected  in  any  body  of  men  equally  numerous  ;  they  are  seen 
every  day  in  social  circles  on  shore,  without  affixing  to  those  circles 
any  individual  or  even  general  reproach.  The  navy  is  as  free  from 
such  scandals  as  any  equal  number  of  men  in  any  order  of  society. 
It  is  matter  of  just  surprise  that  it  should  be  so.  Withdrawn  in  a 
great  degree,  by  the  very  nature  of  their  pursuits,  from  the  immedi- 
ate influence  of  that  public  opinion  which  is  the  best  corrective  of 
manners,  and  with  a  most  imperfect  system  of  laws  and  regulations 
as  a  substitute  for  it,  what  is  there  but  their  own  sense  of  propriety 
to  prevent  naval  officers  from  falling  into  the  worst  excesses  ?  For 
twenty  years  past  the  navy  has  received  from  the  Government  little 
more  than  a  stepmother's  care.  It  was  established  without  plan 
and  has  been  conducted  upon  no  principle  fixed  and  regulated  by 
law.  Left  to  get  along  as  well  as  it  could,  the  wonder  is  that  it 
retains  even  a  remnant  of  the  character  which  it  won  so  gloriously 
during  the  last  wan 

"  Reform  in  this  particular  must  commence  with  the  midship- 
men. After  a  time  these  boys  become  men,  and  these  midshipmen 
become  lieutenants,  and  commanders,  and  captains.  Hence  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  that  none  should  be  appointed  who  are  not 


296  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

duly  qualified  and  suited  in  all  respects  to  that  peculiar  service. 
And  yet  to  this  great  and  fundamental  truth  no  attention  has 
hitherto  been  paid.  The  department  has  been  left  free  to  appoint 
whom  it  pleased,  and  as  many  as  it  pleased,  without  any  law  what- 
ever to  guide  or  regulate  the  judgment.  The  only  rule  by  which 
the  Secretary  can  be  governed  is  to  appoint  those  who  are,  or  seem 
to  be,  best  recommended,  and  yet  in  half  the  cases  the  boy  himself 
is  as  well  known  as  those  who  certify  in  his  favor.  Hence  the 
Secretary  acts  in  the  dark,  and  must  of  necessity  be  often  in  error. 
It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  wayward  and  incorrigible  boys,  whom 
parental  authority  cannot  control,  are  often  sent  to  the  navy  as  a 
mere  school  of  discipline,  or  to  save  them  from  the  reproach  to 
which  their  conduct  exposes  them  on  shore.  It  is  not  often  that 
skillful  officers  or  valuable  men  are  made  out  of  such  material. 
The  corrective  which  I  propose  is  this  : 

"  I.  The  naval  establishment  shall  be  fixed  by  law,  ascertaining 
among  other  things  the  number  of  officers  to  be  allowed  in  each 
grade.  There  must  be  a  due  proportion  among  the  several  grades 
or  else  it  will  be  impossible  that  the  different  duties  of  the  service 
.can  be  properly  discharged.  In  this  respect  the  proviso  of  the 
appropriation  bill  of  the  last  session  of  Congress,  limiting  the  num- 
ber of  midshipmen  to  the  number  who  were  in  service  on  the  ist 
of  January,  1841,  and  of  other  officers  to  the  number  who  were  in 
service  on  the  ist  of  January,  1842,  will,  if  persisted  in,  prove 
extremely  unfortunate  in  its  action.  'Yh.^  precise  proportion  for  the 
effective  officering  of  a  ship  depends  upon  her  class. 

"  2.  There  should  be  established  proper  naval  schools  on  shore. 
Little  or  no  attention  has  hitherto  been  paid  to  the  proper  educa- 
tion of  naval  officers.  Through  a  long  course  of  years  the  young 
midshipmen  were  left  to  educate  themselves  and  one  another,  and 
it  is  creditable  to  them  that  they  lost  few  opportunities  of  doing  so. 
Suitable  teachers  are  now  provided  for  them,  but  their  schools  are 
kept  in  receiving-ships  and  cruising  vessels  in  the  midst  of  a  thou- 
sand interruptions  and  impediments,  which  render  the  whole  system 
of  little  or  no  value. 

"  Under  such  circumstances  the  foundation  of  a  solid  and  useful 
education  can  rarely  be  laid.  This  subject  was  brought  to  the 
attention  of  Congress  at  its  last  session,  and  a  bill  establishing  a 
naval  school  passed  the  Senate. 


OUTLINE   SUGGESTED  BY  SECRETARY    UPSHUR.         297 

"It  was  not  acted  upon  by  the  House  of  Representatives  for 
want  of  time.  I  again  earnestly  recommend  it,  convinced  as 
I  am  that  its  effect  upon  the  navy  will  be  in  the  highest  degree 
beneficial.  If  adopted,  Congress  will  of  course  prescribe  such 
rules  and  regulations  in  regard  to  it  as  may  seem  to  them  proper, 
but  I  respectfully  suggest  the  following  as  the  outline  of  the 
system  : 

"  The  school  shall  be  established  at  such  of  the  old  military 
fortifications  on  the  seaboard  as  may  afford  suitable  accommoda- 
tions and  as  may  not  be  required  by  the  War  Department. 

''  The  officers  and  teachers  shall  be  supplied  from  those  actually 
in  the  naval  service,  and  all  nautical  instruments,  boats  for  prac- 
tice, etc.,  shall  be  furnished  from  the  navy.  This  will  save  nearly 
the  whole  expense  of  the  schools. 

"  Instruction  in  the  schools  shall  be  given  to  candidates  for 
admission  into  the  navy,  and  to  midshipmen  actually  in  the  ser- 
vice. 

"The  admission  of  candidates  shall  be  regulated  by  law,  as  is 
done  in  regard  to  the  West  Point  Academy. 

"  No  boy  shall  receive  an  acting  appointment  in  the  navy  until 
he  shall  have  passed  a  certain  period  of  diligent  study  at  a  naval 
school,  nor  unless  he  shall  produce  the  necessary  certificates  from 
his  officers  and  instructors  of  his  good  conduct,  capacity,  physical 
ability,  and  general  fitness. 

"Among  those  who  shall  produce  such  certificates  appoint- 
ments shall  be  made,  according  to  such  rule  as  Congress  shall  pre- 
scribe. 

"  These  precautions  will  afford  a  reasonable  amount  of  assur- 
ance that  no  boy  will  be  admitted  into  the  navy  without  being 
qualified  for  and  worthy  of  that  station. 

"But  the  watchful  care  of  the  Government  over  him  should 
not  stop  here.  He  should  receive,  in  the  first  instance,  an  acting 
appointment,  as  is  now  the  practice,  and  not  be  entitled  to  a  full 
appointment  until  he  shall  have  seen  at  least  one  year's  service  at 
sea,  and  made  suitable  progress  in  the  science  and  practical  duties 
of  the  service.  After  receiving  his  full  appointment,  he  should 
pass  not  less  than  five  years  in  active  service  at  sea  before  he 
should  be  entitled  to  examination  for  a  warrant  as  '  Passed  Mid- 
shipman.' 


298 


THE   VOL  UNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


"  That  examination  should  be  rigorous  and  thorough,  and  none 
should  be  entitled  to  it  who  could  not  produce  the  most  satisfac- 
tory proofs  of  good  conduct,  attainments,  capacity  and  general 
fitness.  By  this  time  the  boy  will  have  attained  a  period  of  life 
when  the  character  is  generally  well  developed,  and  in  some  degree 
fixed,  so  that  the  country  will  have  good  reason  to  trust  him  in  the 
higher  grades  of  the  service.  A  corps  of  officers  formed  of  such 
material  would  probably  present  few  instances  of  misconduct  or 
incapacity,  and  would  reflect  honor  on  the  country,  while  rendering 
to  it  the  most  valuable  services. 

"  This  system  could  not  fail  to  relieve  the  personnel  of  the 
navy,  after  a  time,  of  all  its  present  incumbrances,  and  would  cer- 
tainly tend  to  keep  it  in  a  healthy  condition.  But  it  would  be  too 
slow  in  its  operation  for  the  cure  of  existing  evils.  Probably  there 
never  was  a  similar  institution  in  any  country  into  which  abuses 
have  not  crept,  after  so  long  a  period  as  thirty  years  of  profound 
peace  and  of  consequent  neglect.  Governments  and  their  peoples 
are  too  apt  to  overlook  the  military  arm  when  there  is  no  immedi- 
ate need  of  its  protection,  forgetting  the  wise  maxim  that  in  peace 
we  should  prepare  for  war.  Our  navy  has  experienced  its  full 
share  of  those  unfavorable  influences,  and  the  natural  consequence 
is  seen  in  the  admitted  fact  that  it  contains  some  officers  who  do 
no  credit  to  their  commissions.  Their  number,  however,  is  much 
smaller  than  might  have  been  justly  expected  under  the  operation 
of  so  many  discouraging  and  corrupting  causes.  Every  nation 
finds  it  necessary,  after  particular  intervals  of  peace,  to  revise  and 
reform  its  military  establishments,  and  the  time  has  now  arrived 
when  such  a  corrective  may  be  advantageously  applied  to  the  navy 
of  the  United  States. 

"  If  this  system  should  be  fully  and  faithfully  carried  out,  I  do 
not  perceive  that  anything  more  will  be  necessary  to  insure  to  the 
navy  competent  and  honorable  officers.  Hitherto  it  has  been  their 
great  misfortune  that,  with  fewer  opportunities  than  others  to 
educate  themselves,  the  Government  has  done  nothing  to  educate 
them.  The  cadet  from  West  Pomt  enters  the  army  well  founded 
in  the  principles  oi  solid  and  useful  learning  and  fully  prepared  to 
engage  with  advantage  in  any  pursuit,  whether  of  civil  or  military 
life.     The  candidate  for  the  navy,  on  the  contrary,  is  deemed  well 


FAILURE   OF  SECRETARY  UPSHUR'S  ATTEMPT.         299 

enough  qualified  if  he  be  able  to  read  and  write,  to  answer  a  few 
simple  questions  in  geography  and  English  grammar,  and  to  solve 
plain  problems  in  the  elementary  rules  of  arithmetic.  Why  should 
this  difference  be  made  ?  Important  as  a  proper  preparatory  edu- 
cation may  be  to  the  army  officer,  it  is  even  more  important  to  the 
officer  of  the  navy.  Apart  from  the  fact  that  he  has  few  oppor- 
tunities to  improve  himself,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  he  is  the 
most  frequent  representative  of  his  country  abroad,  the  standard 
by  which  foreign  nations  will  be  most  apt  to  measure  her  moral  and 
intellectual  character.  He  is  also  frequently  intrusted  with  the  im- 
portant and  delicate  negotiations  involving  the  rights  of  our  citizens 
and  the  peace  and  honor  of  our  country.  The  function  of  the  naval 
commander  is  much  more  useful,  important  and  dignified  than  is 
generally  supposed.  To  his  skill  and  vigilance  are  intrusted  at 
every  hour  of  the  day  and  night  the  safety  of  his  ship  and  the  lives 
of  his  crew.  The  honor  of  his  country's  flag,  and,  in  a  great  degree, 
her  harmonious  relations  in  peace  and  her  protection  in  war,  are 
among  the  awful  trusts  with  which  he  is  clothed.  Very  few  men 
■can  be  found  qualified  in  every  respect  for  so  high  and  imposing  an 
office,  and,  unhappily,  there  are  too  few  among  those  who  now  hold 
it  who  duly  feel  its  importance  and  dignity.  I  humbly  think  that 
it  is  a  high  duty  of  Government  to  adopt  every  means  calculated  in 
.any  degree  to  elevate  the  standard  of  character  in  the  naval  com- 
mander and  to  fit  him  in  knowledge,  in  professional  skill,  and  in  per- 
sonal character,  to  discharge  the  high  and  solemn  duties  of  his  office. 
"  This  can  best  be  done  by  giving  him  a  suitable  preparatory 
•education  and  by  providing  proper  and  ready  means  of  removing 
him  from  the  ranks  of  his  profession  whenever  he  may  be  found 
unworthy  to  occupy  a  place  in  them."    Etc. 

Emanating  from  a  source  oi  such  great  intelligence 
and  familiarity  with  the  subject  under  consideration,  the 
appeal  of  Secretary  Upshur  was  worthy  of  serious  and 
profound  thought.  This  it  undoubtedly  received  at  the 
third  session  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Congress,  when  the 
report  was  submitted  by  the  President,  John  Tyler. 
Eloquent  and  strong  as  was  the  argument  in  support  of 


300  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

the  proposed  measure,  no  greater  degree  of  success  at- 
tended the  effort  than  followed  the  previous  attempts  to 
obtain  legislation  for  a  Naval  Academy. 

But  one  more  attempt  was  now  to  be  made  to  persuade 
Congress  to  enact  the  desired  legislation  before  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  Napoleon  of  the  occasion,  who,  ignoring 
Congress  and  the  law-makers,  called  the  workmen  to  his 
aid,  constructed  the  long-talked-of  edifice  over  night,  and 
quietly  appeared  at  the  next  session  of  Congress  asking  a 
ratification  of  his  act  and  intrusting  the  infant  institution 
to  the  fostering  care  of  the  Government. 

It  is  worth  while  to  complete  the  history  of  the  various 
efforts  to  found  the  Academy  under  direct  legislation  by 
quoting  in  full  the  report  of  Secretary  Bayard,  of  Dela- 
ware, from  the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  made  at  the 
second  session  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Congress,  under  date 
of  February  lo,  1845,  ^.s  also  the  accompanying  outline  of 
the  draft  of  a  bill  providing  for  the  establishment  of  a 
naval  school. 

Section  i  of  the  bill  orders  the  establishment  of  a  naval 
school,  under  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  on 
board  of  a  vessel  of  the  United  States,  in  connection  with. 
Fort  Norfolk,  on  Elizabeth  River,  in  the  State  of  Virginia, 
as  a  shore  station.  The  same  official  to  prescribe  the 
course  of  study,  and  rules  for  its  government  and  disci- 
pline ;  to  employ  professors  and  teachers,  etc. 

Section  2  prescribes  the  mode  of  appointing  pupils, 
which  mode  differs  from  that  at  present  in  force. 

Section   j    prescribes  the  sea  service  that  each  pupil 


SENATOR  BA  YARD' S  NA  VAL  BILL. 


301 


must  have,  after  undergoing  the  primary  tuition  at  the 
school,  for  eighteen  months,  and  receiving  an  appointment 
as  midshipman,  and  also  the  additional  course  of  study  at 
the  school  after  his  return. 

Section  4  relates  to  the  pay  of  officers,  teachers,  and 
pupils. 

Section  5  abolishes  the  former  system  of  teaching,  and 
appropriates  the  pay  of  the  professors  under  it  to  the  new 
establishment. 

The  report  of  Senator  Bayard  is  as  follows: 

"  The  bill  in  question  proposes  the  establishment  of  a  naval 
school,  and  for  that  purpose  to  employ  a  ship  of  the  United  States, 
in  connection  with  Fort  Norfolk,  on  Elizabeth  River,  in  the  State  of 
Virginia.  The  object  is  not  to  form  an  expensive  establishment  in 
any  respect  resembling  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  but 
merely  to  employ  the  existing  means  of  instruction  belonging  to 
the  service  in  a  more  effectual  manner,  and  in  some  measure  to 
insure,  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  admitted  into  the  navy,  the 
desired  attributes  of  physical  and  intellectual  strength  and  of  moral 
worth.  If  the  plan  is  adopted,  the  present  annual  charge  upon  the 
naval  establishment  for  the  instruction  of  midshipmen  will  be  suf- 
ficient for  the  support  of  the  school,  while  the  advantage  gained  in 
point  of  instruction  will,  in  the  opinion  of  the  committee,  be  very 
great. 

"  In  order  properly  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  measure, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  contrast  it  with  the  existing  mode  of  admis- 
sion into  the  navy,  and  of  instruction  subsequently  received. 
Under  the  existing  laws  and  regulations  of  the  department,  the 
appointment  of  midshipmen  is  made  by  the  Secretary,  without  any 
check  whatever  upon  the  exercise  of  his  discretion,  and  is  the  result, 
for  the  most  part,  of  personal  or  political  influence.  The  regula- 
tions require  that  the  individual  shall  not  be  less  than  fourteen  nor 
more  than  twenty  years  of  age,  and  his  first  order  is  for  sea  service. 
The  learning  required  is  a  slight  knowledge  of  English  grammar 
and  of  the  elements  of  arithmetic  and  geography  ;  and  these  attain- 


302  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

ments  are  not  closely  scrutinized.  There  is  no  provision  for  ascer- 
taining either  his  physical  condition  or  his  mental  or  moral  culture; 
but  his  fitness  is  presumed  from  the  fact  of  his  recommendation 
by  some  political  or  personal  friend.  Instances  have  occurred  in 
which  boys,  who  have  been  thought  by  their  acquaintances  to  be 
good  for  nothing  else,  have  yet  been  thought  good  enough  for  a 
service  which,  in  its  perils  and  its  responsibilities,  requires  high 
qualities  of  physical  and  intellectual  vigor,  as  well  as  moral  worth. 
His  scientific  instruction  commences  at  sea  or  in  a  foreign  port,  amidst 
the  noise  and  distraction  of  a  crowded  ship,  and  the  interruptions 
of  the  various  calls  of  duty.  Having  been  five  years  in  the  service, 
three  of  which  must  have  been  passed  in  active  duty  at  sea,  and 
having  attained  the  age  of  twenty  years,  the  midshipman  may 
be  examined  for  promotion.  To  prepare  for  this  examination,  he 
spends  a  few  months  at  the  naval  asylum  at  Philadelphia,  where  a 
school  has  been  established  for  that  purpose. 

'■'■  This  meager  course  of  instruction  furnishes  the  sum  of  his 
attainments.  Such  are  the  provisions  for  the  training  of  this 
important  branch  of  officers  —  the  future  commanders  of  a  service 
in  which  they  are  to  bear  with  honor  the  flag  of  the  nation,  in  peace 
and  in  war,  at  home  and  abroad,  on  the  high  seas  and  in  the  ports 
of  foreign  nations  —  the  armed  embassadors  of  the  country,  who 
must  be  able  to  fight  and  to  negotiate,  and  whose  duties  require 
that  they  should  be  familiar  not  only  with  naval  tactics  and  the 
whole  circle  of  nautical  science,  but  with  the  principles  of  interna- 
tional law.  The  object  of  the  bill  under  consideration  is  to  provide, 
in  some  measure,  a  remedy  for  these  defects. 

"The  materials  of  a  ship  may  be  collected,  and  the  ship  built, 
in  a  few  months  ;  but  the  training  of  an  officer  is  the  work  of  years, 
and  must  be  commenced  at  an  early  period  of  life.  The  science 
and  skill  of  the  officer  is  part  of  the  military  wealth  of  the  country  ; 
and  if  it  be  necessary  and  proper  to  provide  a  supply  of  timber  and 
naval  stores,  to  build  ships,  to  cast  cannon,  to  form  depots  of  arms 
and  munitions  of  war,  it  is  not  less  so  to  train  and  support  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  competent  officers. 

"The  Constitution  of  the  United  States  has  given  to  Congress, 
in  express  terms,  the  power  '  to  provide  and  maintain  a  navy  ; '  and 
there  is  no  longer  any  doubt  in  the  popular  mind  or  among  states- 
men as  to  the  policy  of  using  the  power.     The  protection  of  the 


CLASSES  OF  NAVAL  OFFICERS.  3O3 

commerce,  and  the  preservation  of  the  security  and  honor  of  the 
country  depend  upon  it. 

"  Assuming  that  the  present  scale  of  the  establishment,  both  in 
its  personnel  and  its  material,  is  such  as  is  commensurate  with  the 
wants  and  dignity  of  the  nation,  it  is  obviously  necessary,  in  order 
CO  maintain  it,  that  some  provision  should  be  made  for  its  period- 
ical renovation.  The  personnel  oi  the  navy  may  be  divided  into  the 
officers  and  men,  the  latter  branch  of  which  is  recruited  from  the 
merchant  service  and  from  the  school  of  apprentices. 

"The  officers  may  be  divided  into  the  civil  and  military 
branches  of  the  service,  and  the  military  branch  may  be  again 
divided  into  the  commissioned  and  warrant  officers.  The  commis- 
sioned officers  of  the  military  branch  are  the  captains,  commanders, 
and  lieutenants.  Of  these  there  are  68  captains,  96  commanders, 
and  328  lieutenants.  This  class  of  commissioned  officers  is 
recruited  from  the  midshipmen,  who  belong  to  the  class  of  warrant 
officers.  The  proviso  of  the  naval  appropriation  act  of  August  4, 
1842,  limits  the  number  of  midshipmen  as  a  class,  embracing  the 
passed  and  other  midshipmen,  to  451  ;  and  there  are  at  present  159 
passed  midshipmen,  and  314  midshipmen,  being  an  excess  of 
twenty-two  beyond  the  number  limited  by  that  act.  The  number 
of  commissioned  officers  in  the  military  branch  (namely,  of 
captains,  commanders,  and  lieutenants)  is  492,  and  the  number  of 
passed  and  other  midshipmen  473,  —  making  a  totality  of  965  ; 
which  suffers,  taking  the  experience  of  the  last  three  years,  an 
annual  diminution  in  its  different  grades,  from  death,  resignation^ 
and  dismission,  of  about  thirty.  At  the  expiration,  therefore,  of 
another  year,  this  totality  will  be  reduced  below  the  number  limited 
by  the  proviso  of  the  act  of  August  4,  1842.  Admitting,  then, 
that  the  scale  prescribed  by  that  act  is  the  proper  one  for  a  peace 
establishment,  it  is  time  to  provide  for  its  maintenance  by  pre- 
scribing the  mode  in  which  the  class  of  midshipmen  shall  be 
recruited  and  kept  full. 

''Whether  the  respective  number  of  officers  in  each  of  these 
grades  be  wisely  adjusted,  is  a  question  that  depends  upon  the 
view  which  is  taken  of  the  wants  of  the  service,  and  of  the  claims 
of  the  officers  to  promotion,  which  is  the  great  incentive  of  the  pro- 
fession. It  has  been  well  observed  by  the  British  Commissioners, 
in  their  report  of  March,  1840,  that  'in  a  fluctuating  and  uncer- 


304  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

tain  establishment,  the  continued  fear  of  reduction  would  operate 
to  check  the  energies  of  those  holding  employment  therein,  as 
their  anxieties  might  be  more  directed  to  their  individual  position 
than  to  a  satisfactory  discharge  of  their  duties.' 

"  In  relation  to  the  matter  of  promotion,  it  may  be  remarked 
that  the  present  junior  commander  on  the  register  had  been  in 
service,  at  the  time  of  his  promotion,  more  than  twenty-six  years, 
of  which  period  he  had  been  for  more  than  sixteen  years  a  lieuten- 
ant, and  that  a  midshipman  now  entering  the  service  would  not, 
under  the  present  establishment  in  the  regular  order  of  promotion, 
probably  attain  the  rank  of  commander  under  thirty  years.  It  is 
not,  therefore,  unreasonable  to  assume  that  there  will  be  no  mate- 
rial change  in  the  number  of  officers  prescribed  by  that  act.  The 
annual  appointments,  then,  necessary  to  be  made  in  order  to  keep 
the  different  grades  of  these  officers  full,  according  to  the  scale  of 
the  present  peace  establishment,  are,  as  has  been  stated,  about 
thirty.  There  is  no  want  of  applicants  for  admission  into  the  ser- 
vice, and  an  important  point  is  to  devise  some  mode  of  selection 
from  among  the  numerous  candidates  which  may  secure  the  best 
moral  and  physical  attributes. 

"The  bill  proposes,  for  this  purpose,  to  authorize  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  to  select,  at  stated  periods  of  eighteen  months,  which 
have  reference  to  the  course  of  instruction,  sixty  individuals  from 
the  applicants,  who  shall  form  the  class  of-  candidates  for  admis- 
sion into  the  navy.  The  individuals  selected  are  not  to  be  less  than 
thirteen  nor  more  than  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  are  to  be  examined 
under  regulations  of  the  department  as  to  their  physical  condition 
and  moral  cultivation.  If  found  to  be  possessed  of  the  requisite 
qualifications,  they  are  then  to  be  admitted  into  the  naval  school. 
At  this  school  they  are  to  be  instructed  in  suitable  studies  for  the 
period  of  eighteen  months,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  are  to  be 
examined  by  a  board  composed  of  the  professors  of  the  school  and 
of  competent  officers  appointed  by  the  Secretary,  and  classed 
according  to  their  respective  merit.  As  yet  they  are  only  candi- 
dates for  admission  into  the  navy,  and  from  this  class  thus 
instructed,  the  oldest  of  whom  will  not  be  more  than  sixteen  and  a 
half  years  old,  and  the  youngest  not  less  than  fourteen  and  a  half 
years,  it  is  proposed,  in  the  order  of  their  merit,  to  appoint  the 
number  of  midshipmen  necessary  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  ser- 


PROPOSED  PLAN  FOR  NA  VAL  SCI  J  00  L. 


305 


vice.  For  the  purpose  of  subsistence  while  attending  the  school, 
it  is  proposed  to  allow  them  one-half  the  pay  of  midshipmen  wait- 
ing orders.  After  the  appointment  of  the  requisite  number  of 
midshipmen  there  will  be  no  further  occasion  for  the  services  of 
the  rest  of  the  class,  and  they  will  merely  retire  from  the  school  to 
pursue  such  vocations  in  life  as  their  parents  or  guardians  may 
indicate,  having  derived  the  benefit  of  instruction  for  eighteen 
months  in  branches  of  knowledge  which  may  be  useful  to  them 
through  life.  Immediately  on  receiving  his  warrant  the  young 
midshipman  is  to  be  sent  to  sea,  to  be  employed  in  active  duty  for 
the  period  of  three  years=  On  his  arrival  in  the  United  States  he 
is  to  return  to  the  naval  school  and  prosecute  his  studies  for 
another  period  of  eighteen  months,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he 
will  undergo  an  examination,  when,  if  found  qualified,  he  will  rank 
as  a  passed  midshipman,  and  may,  when  occasion  offers,  be  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  a  commissioned  officer.  It  will  be  perceived 
that  the  change  which  is  proposed  in  the  existing  regulations  is  in 
the  mode  of  appointing  midshipmen  and  in  the  method  of  their 
instruction  —  the  object  being  in  the  first  instance  to  insure,  as  far 
as  can  be  done,  the  appointment  of  such  only  as  are  fit  for  the  ser- 
vice, and,  in  the  second  instance,  to  provide  a  more  enlarged  course 
of  study  and  mstruction  under  more  favorable  circumstances  than 
he  now  enjoys.  The  term  of  sea  service  required  prior  to  exami- 
nation for  promotion  is  the  same  under  both  systems. 

**  It  remains  only  to  say  a  few  words  in  relation  to  the  organi- 
zation of  the  school,  its  course  of  instruction,  and  the  expense  of 
the  establishment. 

"  For  its  organization  it  will  require  the  following  officers, 
which  the  service  will  supply : 

"  Captain  or  commander,  as  supermtendent. 

"  Commatider  or  lieutenant,  as  instructor  in  naval  tactics,  seaman- 
ship, gunnery,  etc. 

"  Lieutenants.  Two  or  three  lieutenants,  as  assistants  to  the 
instructor  in  naval  tactics,  seamanship,  gunnery,  etc. 

"  Boatswain  for  the  school-ship,  who  will  instruct  in  the  use 
and  conversion  of  ropes,  rigging,  and  in  the  sailor's  art. 

"  Gumte?-  for  the  school-ship,  to  instruct  in  the  equipment  of 
guns  and  fitting  all  things  necessary  to  the  gunner's  department 
on  board  sh<:;, 


306  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"  Carpenter  for  the  school-ship,  to  instruct  in  the  repair  of 
masts,  yards,  rudders,  and  to  construct  models  for  illustration. 

"For  the  civil  establishment  of  the  school : 

"  Two  professors  of  mathematics. 

"  A  teacher  of  French. 

"A  teacher  of  Spanish. 

"A  teacher  of  drawing. 

"A  professor  of  engineering  or  general  knowledge  and  four 
assistants. 

"The  course  of  instruction  would  embrace,  in  the  first  eighteen 
months,  arithmetic,  algebra,  geometrj^  plane  and  spherical  trigo- 
nometry, surveying  and  navigation,  nautical  astronomy,  analytical 
geometry,  with  the  collateral  studies  of  the  French  and  Spanish 
languages,  drawing,  grammar,  geography,  and  history,  and  an 
initiation  to  seamanship. 

"  The  course  of  instruction  for  the  last  eighteen  months,  after 
three  years'  sea  service  and  preparatory  to  examination  for  pro- 
motion, would  embrace  the  following  studies  :  Descriptive  geom- 
etry, differential  and  integral  calculus,  mechanics,  the  theory 
and  application  of  steam  power,  hydrographic  optics,  electricity 
and  magnetism,  astronomy,  gunnery  and  pyrotechny,  naval  archi- 
tecture, naval  tactics,  with  the  application  of  the  principles  of 
mechanical  philosophy  to  the  various  operations  of  seamanship, 
moral  science,  international  and  military  law. 

"The  expense  of  the  establishment  will  be  less  than  the  amount 
now  expended  for  the  purpose  of  mstruction.  The  amount  now 
expended  is  something  over  thirty  thousand  dollars,  as  follows  : 

Twenty-two  professors  of  mathematics,  at  f  1,200 $26,400 

Rations  and  contingent  allowances .    . .   2, 500 

Three  teachers  of  languages,  at  $500. ....,,...   1,500 

Total $30,400 

"It  is  proposed  to  abolish  all  the  professorships,  except  such  as 
are  necessary  for  and  attached  to  the  school,  and  to  appropriate  the 
sum  now  expended  for  them  to  the  establishment  and  support  of 
the  school. 

"  The  expenses  of  the  school,  as  a  charge  on  the  naval  estab- 
lishment, would  consist  only  of  the  pay  of  the  candidates  for  ad- 
mission and  of  the  pay  of  the  civil  branch  of  the  school,  as  follows: 


ESTIMATED  EXPENSE  OF  NAVAL  SCHOOL.  307 

Sixty  candidates  for  admission,  at  f{!i50 %  9,000 

Two  professors  of  mathematics,  at  $1,400  2,800 

One  teacher  of  French,  at  $800 800 

One  teacher  of  Spanish,  at  $800 800 

One  teacher  of  drawing,  at  fSoo *. 8(Xi 

One  professor  of  engineering  or  general  knowledge,  at  $1,400 1,4'^JO 

Four  assistants,  at  $800 3,200 

Total $18,800 

"The  employment  of  the  naval  ofificers  who  will  be  attached  to 
the  school  adds  nothing  to  the  expense  of  the  establishment,  since 
there  is  no  addition  made  to  the  number  of  officers,  and  they  would 
receive  their  pay  whether  so  employed  or  not. 

"Upon  the  whole,  it  is  apparent  that,  using  the  means  which 
are  furnished  by  the  ordinary  peace  establishments  of  the  navy, 
the  school  can  be  established  and  supported  without  any  addi- 
tional expenditure,  by  abolishing  the  professorships  in  the  service 
generally,  and  employing  for  its  support  the  amount  now  expended 
in  the  present  imperfect  system  of  instruction." 

The  scheme  set  forth  in  the  foregoing  report  and  the 
accompanying  bill  embraces,  as  will  be  perceived  after  a 
short  consideration,  some  features  of  considerable  merit. 
The  project,  however,  under  this  last  impulse,  was  des- 
tined to  an  issue  no  more  successful  than  had  attended 
all  previous  efforts  to  obtain  direct  Congressional  legisla- 
tion under  which  to  create  and  organize  a  Naval  Acad- 
emy, It  was  pushed  with  considerable  pertinacity  by 
persons  of  high  influence,  but  by  a  neglect  to  legislate, 
Congress  tacitly  refused  to  sanction  the  measure,  which 
it  was  believed  would  now  be  finally  remanded  to  the 
"tomb  of  all  the  Capulets." 


CHAPTER  X. 

A    NEW    VIEW     OF    THE     NAVAL    ACADEMY SECRETARY    BAN- 
CROFT SOLVES  THE  DIFFICULTY AN  EFFECTIVE    METHOD 

TO    OVERCOME    OBSTINATE    LEGISLATORS DOCUMENTS   IN 

THE    CASE THE     FIRST    SUPERINTENDENT,    COMMANDER 

FRANKLIN      BUCHANAN OUTBREAK      OF     THE     MEXICAN 

WAR FIRST     RECOGNITION     OF    THE    ACADEMY    BY    CON- 
GRESS  TABLE       SHOWING       APPROPRIATIONS       FOR      THE 

NAVAL     ACADEMY     FROM      1 845     TO     1 886 THE    APPRO- 
PRIATION      FOR       1886       IN       DETAIL TABLE      SHOWING 

NUMBER   OF    CADETS    ADMITTED   FROM    ITS   ORGANIZATION 

THE     REGULATIONS     FOR     THE     GOVERNMENT     OF     THE 

ACADEMY. 

A  FTER  the  failure  of  Senator  Bayard's  bill  it  became 
^-^  evident  that  no  legislation  under  which  an  Aca- 
demy might  be  established  could  be  expected  from  Congress. 
The  Administration  had  changed  upon  the  4th  of  March, 
and  James  K.  Polk  had  assumed  the  duties  of  the  Presi- 
dency. James  Buchanan  became  his  Secretary  of  State, 
Wilham  L.  Marcy  his  Secretary  of  War,  and  George 
Bancroft  his  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

The  new  Administration  was  cordially  in  favor  of  the 
Naval  Academy,  and  the  determination  to  create  it  was 
soon  reached.  The  o^round  was  reviewed  and  the  statutes 
searched,  but   no   provision  of  law  could  be  found  that, 

under  any  construction,  might  authorize  its  establishment 

308 


INGENIOUS  METHOD  TO  HOLVK  A  DU'TICUIfV.  309 

The  position  was  perplexing,  but  a  method  was  suggested 
through  which  the  Gordian  knot  might  be  cut.  Neither 
provision  of  the  Constitution  nor  any  law  of  Congress 
expressly  authorized  the  establishment  of  a  Naval  Acad- 
emy ;  but  did  any  Constitutional  provision  or  Congres- 
sional enactment  expressly  prohibit  the  establishment  of  a 
Naval  Academy?  The  suggestion  was  quaint,  but  there 
were,  evidently,  adhesive  qualities  in  it.  The  distinction 
between  a  school  and  an  academy  was  adroitly  ignored, 
and  the  details  were  soon  arranged.  Mr.  Bancroft,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  under  the  general  supervision  of 
naval  instruction  which  was  devolved  upon  him  by  exist- 
ing law,  determined  to  remove  the  pupils  to  a  fixed  point 
upon  the  shore.  With  this  purpose  in  view  he  solicited  a 
transfer  of  Fort  Severn,  at  Annapolis,  to  the  Navy 
Department,  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  This  request  was 
complied  with,  and  within  six  months  of  the  failure  of 
Senator  Bayard  to  obtain  Congressional  sanction  for  the 
establishment  of  the  Academy  it  became  un  fait  accompli, 
through  an  artifice  which,  but  for  the  intervention  of  an 
unexpected  circumstance  —  the  certainty  of  a  war  with 
Mexico  —  would  probably  have  received  the  disapproval 
of  Congress  and  an  annulment  of  the  procedure. 

The  reproduction  of  two  documents,  in  this  connec- 
tion, will  place  the  reader  in  full  possession  of  the  ultimate 
method  by  which  the  long-talked-of  project  was  accom- 
plished. 

The  first  of  these  is  the  followingf  letter  from  Secre- 
tary  Bancroft  to  Commander  Franklin  Buchanan: 


3IO  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

"  Navy  Department,  August  7,  1845. 

"  Sir :  The  Secretary  of  War,  with  the  assent  of  the  President, 
is  prepared  to  transfer  Fort  Severn  to  the  Navy  Department,  for 
the  purpose  of  establishing  there  a  school  for  midshipmen. 

"  In  carrying  this  design  into  effect  it  is  my  desire  to  avoid  all 
unnecessary  expense,  to  create  no  places  of  easy  service,  no  com- 
mands that  are  not  strictly  necessary,  to  incur  no  charge  that  may 
demand  new  annual  appropriations,  but,  by  a  more  wise  applica- 
tion of  moneys  already  appropriated  and  officers  already  author- 
ized^ to  provide  for  the  better  education  of  the  young  officers  of  the 
navy.  It  is  my  design  not  to  create  new  officers,  but,  by  economy 
of  administration,  to  give  vigor  of  action  to  those  who  at  present 
are  available;  not  to  invoke  new  legislation,  but  to  execute  more 
effectually  existing  laws.  Placed  by  their  profession  in  connection 
with  the  world,  visiting  in  their  career  of  service  every  climate  and 
leading  people,  the  officers  of  the  American  navy,  if  they  gain  but 
opportunity  for  scientific  instruction,  may  make  themselves  as  dis- 
tinguished for  culture  as  they  have  been  for  gallant  conduct, 

"  To  this  end  it  is  proposed  to  collect  the  midshipmen  who 
from  time  to  time  are  on  shore  and  give  them  occupation  during 
their  stay  on  land,  in  the  study  of  mathematics,  nautical  astronomy, 
theory  of  morals,  international  law,  gunnery,  use  of  steam,  the 
Spanish  and  French  languages,  and  other  branches  essential  in  the 
present  day  to  the  accomplishment  of  a  naval  officer. 

"  The  effect  of  such  an  employment  of  the  midshipmen  cannot 
but  be  favorable  to  them  and  to  the  service.  At  present  they  are 
left,  when  waiting  orders  on  shore,  masters  of  their  own  motions, 
without  steady  occupation,  young,  and  exulting  in  the  relief  from 
the  restraint  of  discipline  on  shipboard. 

"In  collecting  them  at  Annapolis  for  purpose  of  instruction, 
you  will  begin  with  the  principle  that  a  warrant  in  the  navy,  far 
from  being  an  excuse  for  licentious  freedom,  is  to  be  held  a  pledge 
for  subordination,  industry,  and  regularity  —  for  sobriety  and 
assiduous  attention  to  duty.  Far  from  consenting  that  the  tone 
of  the  discipline  and  morality  should  be  less  than  at  the  universities 
or  colleges  of  our  country,  the  President  expects  such  supervision 
and  management  as  shall  make  of  them  an  exemplary  body  of 
which  the  country  may  be  proud. 

"  To  this  end  you  have  all  the  powers  for  discipline  conferred 


LETTER  OF  INSTRUCTION  TO  SUPERINTENDENT,        31I 

by  the  laws  of  the  United  States  and  the  certainty  that  the  depart- 
ment will  recommend  no  one  for  promotion  who  is  proved  unworthy 
of  it,  from  idleness  or  ill  conduct  or  continuing  ignorance,  and  who 
cannot  bear  the  test  of  a  rigid  examination. 

"  For  the  purpose  of  instruction  the  departments  can  select 
from  among  twenty-two  professors  and  three  teachers  of  languages. 
This  force,  which  is  now  almost  wasted  by  the  manner  in  which  it 
is  applied,  may  be  concentrated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  produce 
the  most  satisfactory  results.  Besides,  the  list  of  chaplains  is  so 
great  that  they  cannot  all  be  employed  at  sea,  and  the  range  of 
selection  of  teachers  may  be  enlarged  by  taking  from  their  number 
some  who  would  prefer  giving  instruction  at  the  school  to  serving 
afloat.  The  object  of  the  department  being  to  make  the  simplest 
and  most  effective  arrangement  for  a  school,  you  will  be  the  highest 
officer  in  the  establishment  and  will  be  intrusted  with  its  govern- 
ment. It  is  my  wish,  if  it  be  possible,  to  send  no  other  naval  officer 
to  the  school  except  such  as  may  be  able  and  willing  to  give 
instruction.  Among  the  officers  junior  to  yourself  there  are  many 
whose  acquisitions  and  tastes  may  lead  them  to  desire  such  situa- 
tions. For  this  end  the  department  would  cheerfully  detach  three 
or  four  of  the  lieutenants  and  passed  midshipmen,  who,  while  they 
Avould  give  instruction,  would  be  ready  to  aid  you  in  affairs  of 
discipline  and  government. 

"  One  great  difficulty  remains  to  be  considered.  At  our  colleges 
and  at  West  Point  young  men  are  trained  in  a  series  of  consecutive 
years.  The  laws  of  the  United  States  do  not  sanction  a  preliminary 
school  for  the  navy,  they  only  provide  for  the  instruction  of  officers 
who  already  are  in  the  navy.  The  pupils  of  the  naval  school  being, 
therefore,  officers  in  the  public  service,  will  be  liable  at  all  times  to 
be  called  from  their  studies  and  sent  on  public  duty.  Midshipmen, 
too,  on  their  return  from  sea,  at  whatever  season  of  the  year,  will 
be  sent  to  the  school.  Under  these  circumstances  you  will  be 
obliged  to  manage  your  classes  in  such  a  manner  as  will  leave 
opportunity  for  those  who  arrive  to  be  attached  to  classes  suited  to 
the  stage  of  their  progress  in  their  studies.  It  will  be  difficult  to 
manage  a  system  of  studies  which  will  meet  this  emergency,  but 
with  the  fixed  resolve  which  you  will  bring  to  the  work,  and  with 
perseverance,  you  will  succeed. 

*'  Having  thus  expressed  to  you  some  general  views,  I  leave 


312  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

you,  with  such  assistance  as  you  may  require,  to  prepare  and  lay 
before  this  department  for  its  approbation  a  plan  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  naval  school  at  Fort  Severn,  Annapolis. 

*'  The  posts  to  which  you  and  those  associated  with  you  will  be 
called,  are  intended  to  be  posts  of  labor  ;  but  they  will  also  be 
posts  of  the  highest  usefulness  and  consideration.  To  yourself,  to 
whose  diligence  and  care  the  organization  of  the  school  is  intrusted, 
will  belong  in  a  good  degree  the  responsibility  of  a  wise  arrange- 
ment. Do  not  be  discouraged  by  the  many  inconveniences  and 
difficulties  which  you  will  certainly  encounter,  and  rely  implicitly 
on  this  department  as  disposed  to  second  and  sustain  you,  under 
the  law,  in  every  effort  to  improve  the  character  of  the  younger 
branch  of  the  service. 

"  I  am  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

'■  George  Bancroft. 
''  Com'r  Franklin  Buchanan, 

*'  United  States  Navy,  Washington." 

The  second  of  these  documents  is  the  following 
extract  from  the  annual  report  of  Secretary  Bancroft, 
dated  December  i,  1845,  and  transmitted  by  President 
Polk  to  the  first  session  of  the  Twenty-ninth  Congress : 

"  Congress,  in  its  great  desire  to  improve  the  navy,  had  per- 
mitted the  department  to  employ  professors  and  instructors  at  an 
annual  cost  of  about  twenty-eight  thousand  two  hundred  dollars  ; 
and  it  has  been  usual,  besides  the  few  employed  at  the  receiving- 
ships  and  the  naval  asylum,  to  send  professors  with  the  midship- 
men into  every  ocean  and  clime.  But  the  ship  is  not  friendly  to 
study,  and  the  office  of  professor  rapidly  degenerated  into  a  sine- 
cure ;  often  not  so  much  was  done  as  the  elder  officers  would 
cheerfully  do  for  their  juniors  ;  the  teachers  on  board  of  the  receiv- 
ing-ships gave  little  instruction,  or  none  whatever,  so  that  the 
expenditure  was  fruitless  of  great  results.  Many  of  the  professors 
were  able  and  willing  ;  but  the  system  was  a  bad  one.  The  idea 
naturally  suggested  itself,  of  seizing  the  time  when  the  midshipmen 
are  on  shore,  and  appropriating  it  to  their  culture.  Instead  of 
sending  migratory  professors  to  sea  with  each  handful  of  midship- 


A  NAVAL  ACADEMY  FIXAI.I.Y  CREATED.  313 

men,  the  midshipmen  themselves,  in  the  intervals  between  sea  duty, 
might  be  collected  in  a  bod)%  and  devote  their  time  to  suitable 
instruction.  For  the  pay  of  the  instructors  Congress  has  provided  ; 
in  looking  out  for  a  modest  shelter  for  the  pupils,  I  was  encouraged 
to  ask  for  Fort  Severn,  at  Annapolis.  The  transfer  was  readily 
made  by  order  of  the  Secretar)^  of  War,  and  a  school  was  immedi- 
ately organized,  on  an  unostentatious  and  frugal  plan.  This  insti- 
tution, by  giving  some  preliminary  instruction  to  the  midshipmen 
before  their  first  cruise,  by  extending  an  affectionate  but  firm 
supervision  over  them  as  they  return  from  sea,  by  providing  for 
them  suitable  culture  before  they  pass  to  a  higher  grade,  by  reject- 
ing from  the  service  all  who  fail  in  capacity  or  in  good  disposition 
to  use  their  time  well,  will  go  far  to  renovate  and  improve  the 
American  navy. 

"  The  plan  pursued  has  been  unpretending,  but  it  is  hoped  will 
prove  efficient.  A  few  professors  give  more  and  better  instruction 
than  four  and  twenty  at  sea.  No  supernumerary  officer  has  been 
ordered  to  Annapolis  ;  no  idle  man  is  attached  to  the  establish- 
ment. Commander  Buchanan,  to  whom  the  organization  of  the 
school  was  intrusted,  has  carried  his  instructions  into  effect  with 
precision  and  sound  judgment,  and  with  a  wise  adaptation  of  sim- 
ple and  moderate  means  to  a  great  and  noble  end.  Let  not 
Congress  infer  that  new  expenses  are  to  be  incurred.  Less  than 
the  amount  that  has  hitherto  been  at  the  disposal  of  the  depart- 
ment for  purposes  of  culture,  will  support  the  school,  and  repair 
and  enlarge  the  quarters  received  from  the  hospitality  of  the  army." 

Without  anticipating  the  future  unfolding"  of  the 
subject,  attention  may  be  called  to  the  closing  sentences 
of  the  above  extract.  The  change  was  introduced  as  a 
reform,  educational  and  pecuniary.  The  former  it  cer- 
tainly was  ;  but  in  the  last  sense,  the  pretense  of  saving  is 
somewhat  ridiculous,  in  face  of  the  large  outlays  that  soon 
occurred,  and  which  have  continued  in  increasing  ratio  up 
to  the  present  time. 

The  foregoing  record,  however,  completes  the  history 


314  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

of  the  establishment  of  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis. 
The  Academy  at  West  Point  has  a  legitimate  raison 
(Titre.  It  cannot  boast  of  parentage  under  a  special  and 
exclusive  act  of  Congress ;  but  nevertheless  it  has  the 
warrant  of  legislative  enactment  prior  to  birth.  The 
Academy  at  Annapolis  has  no  such  legitimate  parentage. 
It  is  a  sort  of  filius  nullms,  adopted  by  a  kindly  Gov- 
ernment under  pressure  and  the  compulsion  of  circum- 
stances. Stripped  of  certain  objections  hereafter  to  be 
stated,  the  Academy,  under  the  fostering  care  of  the 
Government,  has  become  a  useful  institution. 

It  was  created,  however,  without  sanction  of  law,  by 
an  Administration  that,  departing  from  the  fixed  tra- 
ditions of  our  Government,  inaugurated  a  war  of  pure 
conquest  against  a  neighboring  and  friendly  country,  for 
the  purpose  of  adding  additional  slave  territory  to  the 
United  States.  That  the  territory  subsequently  acquired 
did  not  become  wholly  slave  territory  was  no  fault  of  that 
and  subsequent  Democratic  Administrations. 

Once  fairly  located  at  Fort  Severn,  the  school  was 
placed  under  the  charge  of  Commander  Franklin 
Buchanan,  who  became  its  first  superintendent,  which 
position  he  occupied  for  a  period  of  two  years.  The 
present  generation  has  still  some  remembrance  of  this 
uofaithful  servant.  He  belongs  to  a  class  of  persons  of 
whom  this  volume  must  contain  some  particular  mention 
in  the  later  pages.  From  a  boy  of  fifteen,  when  he 
entered  the  American  naVy  as  a  midshipman,  up  to  the 
year   1861,  he  v/as  supported,  educated,  and  honored  by 


RECORD  OF  SUPERIXTKNDENT  BUCIIAXAX. 


3^:) 


the  Government  of  the  United  States.  For  all  that  he 
was  he  was  indebted  to  that  Government.  The  year 
1 86 1  found  him  a  captain  in  the  navy,  and  in  less  than 
seven  weeks  after  a  Republican  had  been  inaugurated 
President  of  the  United  States  he  deserted  the  Govern- 
ment that  had  reared,  fed,  and  educated  him,  using  the 
education  he  had  thus  obtained  against  the  very  Govern- 
ment that  had  nurtured  him.  He  superintended  the 
fitting-out  of  the  Merrimac  and  commanded  her  in  the 
attack  upon  our  fleet  in  Hampton  Roads,  through  which 
attack  so  many  true  and  loyal  men  lost  their  lives.  He 
subsequently  became  a  rear  admiral  in  the  Confederate 
service. 

Apart  from  all  comment  upon  the  method  of  creation, 
however,  and  all  stricture  upon  the  organization,  the  fact 
remained  that  the  simple  school  system  authorized  by  the 
Government  had  been  transferred  into  an  academic 
system  ;  a  location  had  been  selected,  school  buildings 
and  appliances  obtained  ;  a  superintendent  appointed,  with 
full  faculties,  etc.  All  this  was  done  under  the  pretext 
that  no  alteration  had  been  made  other  than  to  change 
the  previous  system  of  instruction,  with  the  migratory 
professors  and  pupils,  to  a  fixed  establishment  of  precisely 
similar  character  upon  the  shore. 

Within  a  year  after  the  establishment  of  the  Naval 
Academy  the  Mexican  War  was  fully  upon  us.  The  cir- 
cumstance was  propitious  for  the  new-born  offspring,  and 
it  was  made  the  most  of  by  its  friends.  The  first  recog- 
nition of  the  establishment  by  Congress  in  the  appropri- 


3l6  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

ation  bill  was  sufficient  to  secure  it  against  subsequent 
danger.  In  the  naval  appropriation  bill  for  the  fiscal  year 
ending  June  2^0,  1847,  ^^i^  recognition  was  secured  in  the 
following  language  : 

"  Sec.  4.  That  of  the  money  appropriated  in  this  act  for  the 
pay  of  the  navy,  and  contingent  expenses  enumerated,  an  amount 
not  exceeding  twenty-eight  thousand  and  two  hundred  dollars 
may  be  expended,  under  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
for  repairs,  improvements,  and  instruction  at  Fort  Severn,  Annap- 
olis, Maryland." 

In  the  bill  of  the  following  year  the  same  amount  was 
appropriated,  for  the  same  purpose,  with  the  addition  of 
the  words  :  "  and  for  the  purchase  of  land  for  the  use  of 
the  naval  school  at  that  place,  not  exceeding  twelve 
acres." 

From  this  time  onward  the  offspring  was  fairly 
adopted  as  the  nation's  child,  and  under  the  paternal  care 
it  has  gradually  developed  into  vigorous  maturity. 

Under  this  portion  of  the  author's  subject  it  now 
remains  only  to  exhibit  the  general  expense  account  of 
the  institution,  and  to  present  a  summary  of  such  legisla- 
tion in  connection  with  it  as  ma}^  be  of  interest  to  the 
reader. 

In  one  respect,  at  least,  the  navy  appropriation  bills- 
differ  from  those  of  the  army.  The  latter  appropriate 
separately  for  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  and 
enumerate  specifically  the  various  items  of  expense  — 
including  amounts  for  teachers  of  all  classes,  for  repairs,, 
for  workmen,  etc, —  and,  likewise,  the  regular  annual 
amounts  for  "  pay  of  the  cadets."     The  naval  bills  appro- 


TOTAL  EXPENSE  OF  NAVAL  ACADEMY. 


l^^l 


priate  separately,  also,  for  the  Naval  Academy,  but  the 
pay  of  the  cadets  is  included  in  the  general  budget  of 
navy  pay,  and  therefore  does  not  constitute  a  separate 
item.  This  circumstance  renders  it  somewhat  difficult  to 
present  the  precise  expense  in  detail  without  access  to 
official  documents.  The  purpose  of  the  present  volume 
hardly  requires  such  detail. 

The    expense    account    of    the    Academy,    therefore, 
stands  as  follows,  tabulated  by  years : 

Table  VI. 

Showing  appropriations  for  the  Naval  Academy,  from  1845  to  1886,  less 
only  the  pay  of  the  cadets. 


Years. 


1845  to  1846. 

1846  to  1847. 

1847  to  1848. 


1849  to  1850. 

1850  to  1851. 

1851  to  1852. 
1S52  to  1853. 

1853  to  1854. 


Purposes. 

Teachers'  salaries 

Repairs,  improvements,  and  instruction 

Repairs,   improvements,  and  instruction,  and  for  the 

purchase  of  twelve  acres  of  land 

Improvements  and  repairs %  19,300 

Instruction 28,200 

For  support  of  Naval  School 

For  instruction %  28,200 

For  imp't  and  repair  of  buildings  and  grounds     28,200 

Instruction $  28,200 

Repairs  and  erections  of  buildings 26,700 

Repairs  and  erections  of  buildings %  28,000 

Quarters  for  professors  and  students 75,000 

Contingent  fund 21,700 

Instruction 28,200 

Imp't  and  repair  of  buildings  and  grounds,  and 

support  of  Academy %  46,059 

Purchase  of  land,  extending  walls,  making 
new  roads,  wharf,  building,  and  furnishing 
hospital,  etc 38,000 


Amounts. 


28,200 
28,200 

28,200 


47,500      ' 
218,200 


56,400 


54,900 


152,900 


84,059 


3i8 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Years. 


Purpc 


Amounts. 


185410  1855. 


1855  to  1856. 


1856 

1857 
1858 

1859 
i860 
1861 
1862 


to  1857. 
to  1858. 
to  1859. 
to  i860, 
to  1861. 
to  1862. 
to  1863. 


1863  to  1864. 

1864  to  1865. 


1865  to  1866. 
i866  to  1867. 


1867  to  1868. 


1868  to  1869. 


Erection  and    repair  of   buildings,   imp't  and 

preservation  of  grounds,  and  contingencies. $  39,678 

Barlow's  Planetarium 2,000 

Instruction 28,200 


Repairs  of  buildings,  heating  works,  and  sup- 
port of  Academy $  25,044 

Sea-wall  and  roads 23,000 


Repairs,  imp'ts,  and  support  of  Academy 

Repairs,  imp'ts,  and  support  of  Academy 

Repairs,  imp'ts,  and  support  of  Academy 

Repairs,  imp'ts,  and  support  of  Academy 

Repairs,  imp'ts,  and  support  of  Academy 

Repairs,  imp'ts,  and  support  of  Academy 

Academy  removed  at  breaking  out  of  Rebellion  to 
Newport,  R.  I.  Such  appropriation  as  was  neces- 
sary for  the  year  was  covered  by  general  appropria- 
tion, except  the  item  for  mileage  of  Board  of  Visitors. 

For  expenses  of  watchmen  and  others,  and  contingen- 
cies of  the  Academy 

[In  September,  1865,  Academy  removed  back  to  An- 
napolis.] Expenses  of  professors,  watchmen,  and 
others,  and  contingencies  of  the  Academy 

Contingencies  of  the  Academy 

Mileage  of  visitors $     1,000 

Pay  of  civil  officers,  professors,  watchmen,  and 

others,  contingent  expenses  and  repairs. .  . .    198,429 

Purchase  of  Government  House  and  ground  of 

the  State  of  Maryland 25,000 

Purchase  of  other  grounds. 25,000 

Erection  of  buildings 100,000 

Erection  of  machine  shops 2,000 

Erection  of  mural  tablets  and  enlargement  of 
chapel  ....   7,000 


Pay  of  civil  officers,  professors,  watchmen,  and 

others,  and  contingent  account $283,913 

Mileage  of  visitors 2,000 


Salaries  and  wages $122,000 

Contingent    account 63,450 

Repairs 10,000 

Steam  engineering  dep't  and  laborers 5,000 


69,878 


48,044 
39.595 
42,307 
45,671 
50,000 
57.096 
49.567 


1,000 

24,881 


101,831 
115,620 


358,429 


285,913 


200,450 


ITEMS  OF  NA  VAL  ACADEMY  EXPENSE. 


3'9 


Years. 


1869  to  1870. 


1870  to  1871. 

1871  to  1872. 

1872  to  1873. 

1873  to  1874. 

1874101875. 

1875  to  1876. 

1876  to  1877. 

1877  to  1878. 

1878  to  1879. 

1879  to  1880. 

1880  to  1881. 

1881  to  1882. 

1882  to  1883. 

1883  to  1884. 

1884  to  1885. 

1885  to  18S6. 


Pui-poses. 


Salaries  and  wages $105,294 

Contingent    account 61,450 

Repairs 8,680 

Steam  engineering  dep't 5,000 

Board  of  Visitors 2,000 


For  2l 
For  2l 
For  a. 
For  a: 
For  a 
For  a' 
For  a' 
For  a 
For  a' 
For  a 
For  a 
For  a' 
For  a 
For  a 
For  a 
For  a 


11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes , 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

11  purposes 

,11  purposes 

11  purposes , 

,11  purposes 

,11  purposes 

Total  general  appropriations  for  Naval  Academy. 


Amounts. 


182,424 
190,340 
213,082 
199.457 
199.456 
176,300 
183,616 

197,095 
190,095 
184,278 
186,493 
211,143 
211,943 
188,979 
179,382 
90,663 
180,628 


$5,054,355 


For  the  purpose  of  affording  an  idea  of  the  basis  upon 
which  the  Naval  Academy  is  at  present  organized,  the 
following  items  of  the  last  appropriation  bill  may  be  use- 
fully given  in  this  connection  : 

"  For  twelve  professors  and  assistants  of  various  branches  and 
of  languages,  sword  master  and  two  assistants,  boxing  master  and 
gymnast,  assistant  librarian,  secretary  of  Academy,  three  clerks  of 
the  superintendent,  one  clerk  of  the  commandant  of  cadets,  one 
clerk  of  the  paymaster,  one  dentist  (salary  $1,600),  one  baker,  one 
mechanic,  one  cook,  one  messenger  of  the  superintendent,  one 
armorer,  one  gunner's  mate,  one  quarter  gunner,  one  cockswain, 
one  'seaman  in  department  of  seamanship,  one  attendant  in  depart- 
ment of  astronomy,  one  attendant  in  department  of  physics  and 


320  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

chemistry,  six   attendants   of    recitation-rooms,    one    band-master, 
twenty-eight  first-class  musicians  and  seven  second-class  — 

In  all. $53,559 

■Captain  of  the  watch  and  watchmen 23,025 

Mechanics  and  laborers 14. 576 

Employes  in  steam  enginery  department ^ 7,668 

Repairs 21,000 

Fuel  and  lights 17,000 

For  books  —  increase  of  library 2,000 

For  stationery,  maps,  etc 2,000 

For  department  of  physics  and  chemistry 2, 500 

For  miscellaneous  (steam  pipes  and  fitting,  rent  of  building  for  Academy, 
freight,  cartage,  music,  musical  and  astronomical  instruments,  uni- 
form for  band,  telegrams,  maintenance  of  teams,  current  expenses 
and  repairs  of  all  kinds,  incidental  labor  and  expenses  not  included 

under  any  other  head) 34, 600 

Materials  for  repairs,  etc 1,800 

Mileage,  board  of  visitors,  etc.,  etc 1,500 

The  foregoing  list  of  items  reads  something  Hke  a 
modern  "bank  statement,"  but,  as  before  intimated  herein, 
it  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  author  to  find  fault  with  the 
expense  account  of  either  of  the  national  academies.  The 
quotation  is  made  solely  for  the  information  of  the  general 
reader,  who  may  not  have  ready  access  to  the  official 
documents. 

The  following  table,  exhibiting  the  whole  number  of 
cadets  admitted  to  the  Naval  Academy  for  a  period  of 
forty  years,  has  been  compiled  from  official  sources. 

Among  its  other  features  of  interest,  it  will  be  ob- 
served that  during  the  first  three  years  of  the  war,  the 
admissions  to  the  Academy  were  greater  than  during  any 
equal  period  of  its  history,  either  before  or  since  the 
Rebellion.  This  single  circumstance  speaks  strongly  for 
the  patriotism  of  the  youth  of  the  North. 


TOTAL  CADETS  ADMITTED   TO  ANNAPOLIS. 


321 


Table  VII. 

Statement  sho7ving  the  number  of  cadets  admitted  annually  to  the  Naval 
Academy  since  its  organization  in  1845. 


Year. 

Number. 

Year. 

Number. 

Year. 

Number. 

1845 

10 

i860 

96 

1875 

118 

1846 

22 

1861 

193 

1876 

119 

1847 

45 

1862 

ig6 

1877 

105 

1848 

48 

1863 

190 

1878 

66 

1849 

31 

1864 

150 

1879 

68 

1850 

52 

1865 

130 

1880 

67 

1851 

54 

1866 

147 

1881 

64 

1852 

44 

1867 

70 

1882 

59 

1853 

36 

1868 

49 

1883 

115 

1854 

72 

1869 

87 

1884 

93 

1855 

34 

1870 

lOI 

1885 

86 

1856 

73 
91 

1871 
1872 

86 
109 

1857 

1858 

58 

1873 

III 

Total  pupils . . 

....3,560 

1859 

lOI 

1874 

114 

From  the  foregoing  exhibits  it  will  appear  that  there 
have  been  3,560  cadets  admitted  to  the  Academy,  up  to 
and  including  the  year  1885,  while  the  expenditures  for 
the  same  time  have  been  $5,034,355.  To  arrive  at  the 
true  total  of  expense,  however,  it  will  be  necessary,  as 
heretofore  stated,  to  add  the  pay  of  the  3,560  cadets 
who  have  been  admitted  into  the  institution. 

A  statement  of  the  principal  regulations  of  the  Acad- 
emy, taken  from  the  Revised  Statutes,  may  appropriately 
close  this  part  of  the  author's  subject : 

"That  hereafter  there  shall  bene  appointment  of  cadet  mid- 
shipmen or  cadet  engineers  at  the  Naval  Academy  ;  but  in  lieu 
thereof,  naval  cadets  shall   be  appointed   from   each  Congressional 


32  2  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

district  and  at  large,  as  now  provided  by  law  for  cadet  midship- 
men (one  for  every  member  or  delegate  of  the  House  of  Represent- 
atives, one  for  the  District  of  Columbia^  and  ten  appointed  annually 
at  large,  provided  there  shall  not  be  at  any  time  in  the  Academy 
more  than  ten  at  large),  and  all  the  undergraduates  of  the  Naval 
Academy  shall  hereafter  be  designated  and  called  naval  cadets,  and 
from  those  who  successfully  complete  the  six  years'  course,  appoint- 
ments shall  hereafter  be  made  as  it  is  necessary  to  fill  vacancies  in 
the  lower  grades  of  the  line  and  engineer  corps  of  the  navy,  and 
of  the  marine  corps  ;  provided,  that  no  greater  number  of  appoint- 
ments into  these  grades  shall  be  made  each  year  than  shall 
equal  the  number  of  vacancies  which  has  occurred  in  the  same 
grades  during  the  precedmg  year  ;  such  appointments  to  be  made 
from  the  graduates  of  the  year  at  the  conclusion  of  their  six  years' 
course,  in  the  order  of  merit,  as  determined  by  the  Academic 
Board  ,  the  assignment  to  the  various  corps  to  be  made  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Academic 
Board.  But  nothing  herein  contained  shall  reduce  the  number  of 
appointments  from  such  graduates  below  ten  in  each  year,  nor 
deprive  of  such  appointment  any  graduate  who  may  complete  the 
six  years'  course  during  the  year  1882.  And  if  there  be  a  surplus 
of  graduates,  those  who  do  not  receive  appointments  shall  be  given 
a  certificate  of  graduation  and  honorable  discharge,  and  one  year's 
sea  pay,  as  now  provided  by  law  for  cadet  midshipmen  ($1,000). 

"That  any  cadet  whose  position  in  his  class  entitles  him  to  be 
retained  in  the  service  may,  upon  his  own  application,  be  honorably 
discharged  at  the  end  of  four  years'  course  at  the  Naval  Academy, 
with  a  proper  certificate  of  graduation. 

"  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  may  prescribe  a  special 
course  of  study  and  training  at  home  or  abroad  for  any  naval 
cadet. 

"That  the  pay  of  naval  cadets  shall  be  five  hundred  dollars 
per  year. 

"All  candidates  for  admission  in  the  Academy  shall  be  exam- 
ined according  to  such  regulations  and  at  such  stated  times  as  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  may  prescribe.  Candidates  rejected  at  such 
examination  shall  not  have  the  privilege  of  another  examination 
for  admission  to  the  same  class,  unless  recommended  by  the  Board 
of  Examiners. 


ZAl^yS  GOVERNING  NAVAL  ACADEMY.  323 

"Candidates  allowed  for  Congressional  districts,  for  Territories, 
and  for  the  District  of  Columbia,  must  be  actual  residents  of  the 
districts  or  Territories,  respectively,  from  which  they  are  nomi- 
nated. And  all  candidates  must,  at  the  time  of  their  examination 
for  admission,  be  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  eighteen  years, 
and  physically  sound,  well  formed,  and  of  robust  constitution. 

"The  academic  course  shall  be  six  years. 

'*  All  graduates  of  the  Naval  Academy  who  are  assigned  to  the 
line  of  the  navy,  on  the  successful  completion  of  their  six  years" 
course,  shall  be  commissioned  ensigns  in  the  navy. 

"  The  course  for  cadet  engineers  shall  be  four  years,  including 
two  years  of  service  on  naval  steamei  s. 

*'  Naval  cadets  charged  with  '  hazing '  shall  be  court-martialed,. 
and  if  found  guilty  by  the  court,  they  shall,  upon  its  recommenda- 
tion, be  dismissed,  and  such  cadet  shall  always  be  ineligible  to^. 
reappointment." 


The  VOLUNTEER'S  Departure. 


PART  II. 


CONSIDERATION 


OF   THE 


PRESENT  MILITARY  SYSTEM 


OF  THE 


UNITED  STATES. 


325 


THE  PRESENT  MILITARY  SYSTEM  OF  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

• 

THE   OBJECTS    OF    THE    MILITARY    AND    NAVAL   ACADEMIES 

THE  OBLIGATIONS    OF    GRADUATES    TO   THE  GENERAL  GOV- 
ERNMENT  TRIBUTE     OF     PRESIDENT     LINCOLN     TO     THE 

LOYAL    SOLDIERS    AND    SAILORS THE    GRADUATED    ARMY 

OFFICERS    AND    NON-GRADUATES    OF    THE    ACADEMY    WHO 

WENT      INTO     THE     REBELLION DESERTERS      FROM     THE 

NAVY GRADUATES  OF  THE   NAVAL  ACADEMY  FROM   1 845 

TO    i860. 

THE  author  has  made  the  history  of  the  national 
institutions  at  West  Point  and  AnnapoHs  some- 
what fuller  than  the  strict  requirements  of  the  present 
work  demand,  because  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  litera- 
ture of  the  subject — perhaps  it  were  better  to  say  its  biblio- 
graphy— warrants  the  detail.  The  volumes  already  exist- 
ing upon  these  institutions,  while  possessed  of  merit,  and 
especially  that  of  Captain  Boynton  upon  the  History  of 
West  Point,  are  more  particularly  addressed  to  the  pro- 
fessional soldier  and  sailor.  It  is  hoped  by  the  author 
of  the  present  volume  that  his  description   of   the  two 

institutions  may  more  nearly  supply  a  want  of  the  general 

327 


328  .  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

public  for  information  upon  a  subject  that  is  possessed  of 
the  highest  interest  to  our  people  at  large. 

Having  fully  described  the  origin  of  the  national 
academies,  it  falls  within  the  plan  of  the  author  to  inquire 
into  their  progress  and  to  scrutinize  their  present  adapta- 
tion to  the  requirements  of  the  American  Republic.  It 
has  long  been  the  writer's  belief  that,  as  they  were  orig- 
inally organized  and  as  they  now  exist,  they  are  not  only 
unproductive  of  the  results  necessary  to  be  obtained  from 
such  institutions,  but  that  they  contain  many  elements  that 
might  under  certain  circumstances  prove  dangerous  to 
the  best  interests,  and  perhaps  even  to  the  long  con- 
tinued life  of  the  Republic.  The  author  is  aware  that 
he  is  treading  upon  delicate  ground  in  opening  a 
discussion  as  to  the  merit  of  these  institutions.  The 
proposition  that  disciplined  soldiers  are  more  efficient 
than  those  undisciplined,  and  that  special  education  in 
the  art  and  science  of  war  creates  more  successful  officers 
than  the  absence  of  such  education,  has  come  to  be  recog- 
nized as  indisputable,  while  the  fact  that  we  have  two 
institutions  especially  established  for  the  purpose  of  im- 
parting an  expert  military  and  naval  education  is  accepted 
by  the  majority  of  people  as  a  sort  of  sequence  warrant- 
ing a  proposition  and  conclusion  that  may  be  briefly  stated 
thus :  Special  military  education  is  necessary  to  the 
making  of  the  perfect  soldier,  and  as  our  law  has  amply 
provided  for  imparting  it,  all  of  our  soldiers  are  perfect. 
This  species  of  logic  is  not  very  different  in  kind  and  not 
far  removed  in  practical  result  from  that  once  employed 


COMMENTS  UPON  THE  NATIONAL  ACADEMIES.  329 

in  a  distinguished  legislative  assembly  to  seat  a  member 
who  was  in  political  accord  with  a  majority  of  the  body, 
but  who  had  been  given  a  certificate  of  election  in  face 
of  the  most  glaring  violation  of  law.  The  committee 
reported  that  Mr.  Smith's  case  admitted  of  a  logical  state- 
ment from  which  there  was  no  escape  :  that  Mr.  Smith, 
the  holder  of  the  certificate  of  election,  was  either  entitled 
to  the  seat,  or  he  was  not  entitled  to  it ;  the  contestant 
had  declared  that  Smith  was  not  entitled  to  it ;  therefore, 
according  to  the  contestant  himself,  the  seat  belonged  to 
Smith  through  sheer  force  of  logic. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  the  author  to  examine  somewhat 
critically  the  institutions  referred  to,  with  the  view  to 
ascertain  whether,  as  they  have  been  and  are  now  organ- 
ized, they  are  free  of  objection,  and  whether  they  repre- 
sent the  system  that  should  be  adopted  by  a  government 
like  our  own.  In  making  such  an  examination  the  author 
can  have  no  other  purpose  than  that  to  contribute  to  the 
best  interest  of  the  country.  His  effort  will  be  to  discuss 
the  questions  connected  with  the  subject  of  the  usefulness 
of  the  academies  in  a  temperate  and  wholly  impartial 
manner.  Having  nothing  of  which  to  make  personal 
complaint,  and  with  a  practical  experience  of  the  topics 
upon  which  he  writes,  his  views  should  be  unbiased. 
These  views,  be  they  valuable  or  not,  will  now  be  submit- 
ted to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  to  whom  the 
whole  subject  is  of  incalculable  importance. 

As  preliminary  to  the  discussion  purposed  by  the 
author,  however,  it  seems  desirable  to  make  record  of  a 


330  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

personal  fact,  as  it  may  be  termed,  relating  to  those  who 
have  received  a  technical  military  or  naval  education  from 
the  hands  of  the  Government.  The  fact  belongs  to  the 
public  record  of  our  country,  though  an  extreme  magna- 
nimity has  prompted  its  concealment  from  the  general 
people.  Upon  the  very  threshold  of  the  present  investi- 
gation the  author  is  made  to  realize  the  great  delicacy  of 
his  task.  Frank  and  open  statement,  however,  closely 
relates  to  the  subject  to  be  considered,  and  underlies  the 
future  of  the  Government.  This  fact  is  sufficient  for  the 
writer ;  and,  though  individuals  having  a  personal  interest 
in  the  concealment,  or  in  a  complete  distortion  of  the 
truth,  will,  undoubtedly,  in  order  to  break  the  force  of 
legitimate  argument  and  conclusion,  allege  a  purpose  of 
the  author  to  revive  bitter  memories  and  to  foment  sec- 
tional hatreds,  he  will  continue  to  place  his  trust  in  the 
fairness  of  his  countrymen,  in  whose  service  his  best 
efforts  have  been  employed  during  all  his  life. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861,  the  Acad- 
emy at  West  Point  had  been  established  fifty-nine  years, 
dating  from  its  legal  organization  in  1802  ;  while  the 
Academy  at  Annapolis  had  been  upon  a  working  basis  for 
sixteen  years,  dating  from  1845,  the  year  of  its  permanent 
location  at  Fort  Severn.  The  fact  is,  however,  as  fully 
appears  in  the  preceding  pages,  that  a  regular  school  for 
naval  instruction  had  been  maintained  by  the  Govern- 
ment for  a  much  longer  period,  and  that  most  if  not 
all  of  the  higher  naval  officers  in  the  service  of  the 
United   States  at  the  breaking-  out  of  civil  warfare  had 


RESPONSIBILITY  OF  OFFICERS    TO   GOVERNMENT.       33 1 

been  educated  by  and  at  the  expense  of  the  Government. 
So  far  as  the  miHtary  officers  are  concerned,  the  venerable 
Winfield  Scott  represented  one  of  the  very  few  then  in 
actual  service  who  had  not  been  educated  at  and  gradu- 
ated from  the  West  Point  Academy. 

Upon  entering  the  service  of  the  Government,  one 
and  all  alike  took  the  oath  of  loyal  support  of  that  Gov- 
ernment. Now,  this  Government  was  representative,  not 
of  any  factional  number  of  the  States,  but  of  the  whole 
number  of  States  and  Territories  comprising  the  Amer- 
ican Union.  Theoretically,  the  money  which  went  to 
construct  the  edifices  at  West  Point  and  at  Annapolis,  to 
equip  them  as  academies  of  instruction,  to  pay  teachers, 
to  support  pupils,  etc.,  etc.,  was  contributed  by  all  of  the 
States  in  a  certain  proportion.  The  fact  is,  however,  that 
the  Northern  States  of  the  Union,  being  greatly  more 
populous  and  wealthy  than  the  Southern  States,  so  called, 
paid  the  expense  of  these  institutions  in  that  excess 
directly  represented  by  the  greater  revenues  of  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  based  upon  the  mere  fact  of  their 
increased  population  and  wealth.  Putting  this  palpable 
circumstance  —  which  represents  the  greater  obligation 
of  the  alumni  to  one  section  than  to  another  —  entirely 
aside,  it  appears  that  all  of  the  military  and  naval  officials 
who  received  their  special  education  at  West  Point  and 
Annapolis  were  indebted  for  that  education  and  for  their 
personal  maintenance  through  varying  periods  —  gener- 
ally from  their  early  youth  up  to  the  year  spoken  of  —  to 
all  of  the   States  of  the   American    Union.     They  were 


»50- 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


sworn  by  oath,  and  bound  by  every  consideration  of 
honor  and  principle,  to  the  service  of  those  States  —  not 
to  one  of  them,  nor  yet  to  a  dozen  of  them,  but  to  one 
and  all  of  them,  representing  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  whose  bread  they  had  eaten,  whose  money 
they  had  received,  and  from  which  they  had  obtained  a 
technical  or  specific  education  in  war  that  they  had 
distinctly  obligated  themselves  to  use  in  defense  of  the 
Union  of  States  constituting  the  Government. 

This  fact  is  thus  strongly  drawn  because  of  the  relevance 
it  possesses  to  the  inquiry  concerning  the  full  measure  of 
usefulness  of  these  national  institutions.  Within  a  few 
years  past,  exculpation  for  the  attempt  to  break  up  the 
Union  has  assumed  a  somewhat  new  form.  It  is  urged 
that  the  right  of  a  State  to  secede  from  the  Union  was,  to 
put  it  in  its  best  form,  but  an  unsettled  question  ;  that 
the  people  who  attempted  secession  were  sincere  believ- 
ers in  their  legal  right  to  pursue  that  course  ;  that,  being 
honest  in  the  conviction,  they  owed  a  paramount  duty  to- 
their  State  governments,  and  that  for  these  reasons  it  is 
not  right  that  they  should  be  held  responsible  for  violating 
a  principle  that  has  never  been  established  under  any 
binding  constitutional  interpretation.  It  is  not  the 
present  intention  to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  questions 
growing  out  of  this  position,  nor  to  inquire  as  to  the 
extent  of  its  justice,  if  any  it  have.  The  fact  to  be  dealt 
with  at  this  time  is  that,  upon  the  inauguration  of  hostili- 
ties against  the  United  States  by  a  certain  number  of 
States  composing  the  Union,  there  were  a  large  number  of 


j^osmo.v  OF  THE  araiy  officials.  333 

citizens  who,  after  having  pledged  themselves  solemnly  to 
support  the  Government,  after  having  obtained  as  a 
bounty  from  it  a  military  education,  after  having  received 
a  maintenance  for  a  varying  number  of  years,  were 
wholly  without  justification  for  the  course  pursued  by 
them ;  these  citizens  not  being  at  all  covered  by  the 
defense  above  stated  in  behalf  of  the  general  doctrine  of 
secession. 

The  individuals  composing  the  army  and  navy  of  the 
United  States — those  of  them,  more  particularly,  who 
have  received  their  education  and  maintenance  from  the 
Government  —  more  nearly  represent  the  Government, 
with  a  single  exception  (that  of  the  judiciary),  than  any 
other  individuals  or  class  of  people  that  compose  it. 
They  are  permanently  attached  to  it.  This  cannot  be  said 
of  any  other  class  of  public  servants  in  the  whole  Govern- 
ment service,  except  those  belonging  to  its  judicial  branch. 
Presidents,  Cabinet  officers,  Senators,  members,  foreign 
ministers,  consuls,  revenue  officers,  postmasters,  clerks, 
and  in  short,  the  whole  list  of  public  employes,  come  and 
go  ;  but  the  army  and  navy  hold  on  forever.  They  are 
the  only  class,  with  the  exception  above  noted,  that  are 
removed  from  direct  responsibility  and  accountability  to 
the  people,  at  the  polls.  Changes  of  party  do  not  affect 
them.  They  stand  with  the  expounders  of  justice,  as  the 
representatives  of  a  government  that  may  change  every 
official  connected  with  it,  except  themselves,  at  short 
intervals  of  time. 

Under  this  view  of  the  case,  their  relation  to  the  Gov- 


334  "^^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

ernment  Is  peculiar,  not  to  say  extraordinary.  An  ex- 
civil  officer  of  the  Government  has  no  connection  with  it 
other  than  that  of  a  simple  citizen,  with  the  privileges  and 
obligations  pertaining  to  the  character  of  a  citizen. 
Whatever  claim  may  be  made  that,  under  the  theory  of  a 
supreme  allegiance  to  a  State,  individuals  were  justified  in 
following  their  States  in  the  secession  movement,  no  such 
claim  can  be  made  in  behalf  of  those  members  of  the 
army  and  navy  who  not  only  deserted  the  Government, 
but  went  into  the  ranks  of  those  attempting  to  de- 
stroy it.  No  State  sovereignty  claim  can  extend  its 
mitigating  influence  over  them.  They  belong  to  the 
Government  per  se,  and  they  had  no  personality  that  was 
not  distinctly  and  emphatically  absorbed  by  the  Govern- 
ment. 

If  the  issues  submitted  to  the  arbitrament  of  arms 
during  the  late  civil  conflict  are  really  and  finally  settled 
by  a  sincere  acquiescence  in  the  supremacy  of  the 
National  Government,  certainly  no  good  citizen  will  wish 
to  revive  the  bitterness  then  engendered,  nor  even  the 
remembrance  of  past  events,  except  in  so  far  as  they  pos- 
sess an  important  bearing  upon  the  future  of  the  country 
and  the  interests  of  its  people.  The  subject  now  touched 
upon,  however,  has  present  vitality  in  connection  with  the 
matter  of  our  inquiry,  viz.:  the  soundness  of  the  system 
upon  which  our  national  military  and  naval  education  is 
based.  That  it  is  not  sound,  and  that  its  defects  are 
largely  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  those  faithless  offi- 
cers who  abandoned  their  country  in  its  hour  of  peril,  the 


VIEWS  OF  SIMON  CAMEKON.  335 

author  believes  to  be  susceptible  of  demonstration.  The 
following  quotation  from  the  report  of  the  Hon.  Simon 
Cameron,  Secretary  of  War  under  President  Lincoln, 
will  serve  to  show  how  nearly  fatal  to  the  life  of  the  Gov- 
ernment was  the  conduct  of  the  men  upon  whom  the 
country  should  have  been  able  to  rely  in  any  emergency. 
In  this  report,  dated  July  i,  1861,  Secretary  Cameron 
said : 

*  *  *  "  The  large  disaffection  at  the  present  crisis  of  United 
States  army  officers  has  excited  most  profound  astonishment, 
and  naturally  provokes  inquiry  as  to  its  cause.  But  for  this  startling 
defection  the  Rebellion  never  could  have  assumed  formidable proportio7is. 
The  mere  accident  of  birth  in  a  particular  section,  or  the  influence 
of  a  belief  in  particular  political  theories,  furnishes  no  satisfactory- 
explanation  of  this  remarkable  fact.  The  majority  of  these  officers 
solicited  and  obtained  a  military  education  at  the  hands  of  the 
Government  —  a  mark  of  special  favor  conferred  by  the  laws  of 
Congress  to  only  one  in  seventy  thousand  inhabitants.  At  the 
National  Military  Academy  they  were  received  and  treated  as  the 
adopted  children  of  the  Republic.  By  the  peculiar  relations  thus 
established,  they  virtually  became  bound,  by  more  than  ordinary 
obligations  of  honor,  to  remain  faithful  to  their  flag.  The  ques- 
tion may  be  asked,  in  view  of  the  extraordinary  treachery  dis- 
played, whether  its  promoting  cause  may  not  be  traced  to  a  radical 
defect  in  the  system  of  education  itself." 

The  following  extract  from  the  report  of  the  Hon. 
Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  July  4, 
1 86 1,  being  germane  to  the  same  matter,  may  be  appro- 
priately quoted  in  this  connection  : 

*  *  *  "  Since  the  4th  of  March  two  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
officers  of  the  navy  have  resigned  their  commissions  or  been  dis- 
missed from  the  service.  This  diminution  of  officers,  at  a  time 
when  the  force  was  greatly  enlarged,  and  when  the  whole  naval 


;^;^6  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

armament  of  the  country  was  put  in  requisition,  has  compelled  the 
department  to  send  many  of  our  public  vessels  to  sea  without  a 
full  complement  of  officers.  To  some  extent  this  deficiency  has 
been  supplied  by  gentlemen  formerly  connected  with  the  navy  who 
had  retired  to  civil  pursuits  in  peaceable  times,  but  who,  in  the 
spirit  of  true  patriotism,  came  promptly  forward  in  the  hour  of 
their  country's  peril,  and  made  voluntary  tender  of  their  services 
to  sustain  the  flag  and  the  country.  The  department  gladly 
availed  itself  of  the  tender  thus  patriotically  made,  and  received 
these  gentlemen  into  the  service  in  the  capacity  of  acting  lieuten- 
ants. The  alacrity  with  which  they  presented  themselves  for  duty 
in  any  position  the  Government  might  assign  them,  when  others, 
who  had  been  the  honored  and  trusted  recipients  of  Government 
favors,  were  deserting  the  standard,  was  no  less  honorable  to  them 
than  to  the  profession  which  they  adorned,  and  the  country  which 
they  loved." 

These  two  quotations  illustrate  a  pregnant  fact  in  the 
history  of  the  late  war  which  shows  conclusively  that,  had 
the  recreant  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  remained 
faithful  to  their  solemn  trusts,  the  sacrifices  of  human  life 
which  were  made  would  not  have  been  required,  and  that 
the  limits  of  the  Rebellion  would  scarcely  have  exceeded 
the  proportions  of  a  huge  but  badly  organized  mob. 

In  thus  commenting  upon  the  recreant  members  of 
both  branches  of  the  war  service,  the  author  takes  particu- 
lar pleasure  in  recording  another  fact,  interesting  in  itself 
and  important  in  its  relation  to  the  subject  of  military  and 
naval  education  in  our  two  national  academies.  This  fact 
is  represented  by  the  circumstance  that  treason  to  the 
Government  in  the  military  and  naval  arms  was  confined 
to  the  officers  whom  the  Government  was  specially  educat- 
ing for  its  defense.  Justice  to  the  faithful,  as  well  as  the 
relevancy  of  the  fact  to  the  present  subject,  requires  its 


PRESIDENT  LINCOLN'S   TRIBUTE    TO  LOYALTY.         2:?)7 

full  Statement  in  this  connection.  The  reader  will  pardon 
an  extract  in  this  place  from  the  message  of  President 
Lincoln,  read  at  the  commencement  of  the  first  session  of 
the  Thirty-seventh  Congress,  and  dated  July  4,  1861, 
which  states  in  the  terse  and  graphic  style  of  that  great 
statesman  and  patriotic  man  the  grateful  fact  now 
spoken  of. 

"It  is  worthy  of  note,"  said  the  lamented  President,  "that 
while  in  this,  the  Government's  hour  of  trial,  large  numbers  of 
those  in  the  army  and  navy  who  have  been  favored  with  the  offices 
have  resigned  and  proved  false  to  the  hand  which  had  pampered 
them,  not  one  common  soldier  or  common  sailor  is  known  to  have 
deserted  his  flag. 

"  Great  honor  is  due  to  those  officers  who  remained  true  despite 
the  example  of  their  treacherous  associates,  but  the  greatest  honor 
and  the  most  important  fact  of  all  is  the  unanimous  firmness  of  the 
common  soldiers  and  common  sailors.  To  the  last  man,  so  far  as 
known,  they  have  successfully  resisted  the  traitorous  efforts  of  those 
whose  commands  but  an  hour  before  they  obeyed  as  absolute  law. 
This  is  the  patriotic  instinct  of  a  plain  people.  They  understand 
without  an  argument  that  the  destroying  the  Government  which 
was  made  by  Washington  means  no  good  to  them." 

What  a  glorious  tribute  to  the  American  common 
soldier  and  sailor  is  this!  And  what  an  unanswerable 
demand  lies  within  the  mere  statement  of  the  fact  for  the 
inauguration  and  establishment  of  a  system  of  national 
military  education  which  shall  at  one  and  the  same  time 
save  us  from  a  repetition  of  such  wholesale  treachery  as 
was  witnessed  in  1861,  and  give  to  our  country  the  services 
of  its  patriotic  citizens  especially  educated  to  serve  in  its 
defense. 

If  it  be  possible  to  define  different  degrees  of  a  crime 


338  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

as  great  as  that  of  treason,  those  who,  after  having 
received  a  mihtary  or  naval  education  from  the  Govern- 
ment, used  it  in  an  attempt  to  destroy  that  Government, 
were  certainly  guilty  of  the  supreme  infamy  of  the  late 
Rebellion.  The  traitorous  statesmen  who  had  held  hieh 
place  under  the  Government  might  fulminate  upon  paper, 
with  little  other  damaQ^e  than  that  resulting  from  the 
destruction  of  writing-materials.  It  was  the  traitorous 
defenders  of  the  Government  that  made  the  Rebellion 
practicable.  Had  they  kept  the  faith  of  soldiers;  had 
they  been  true  to  the  obligations  of  honest  men  and 
citizens,  there  would  have  been  no  Rebellion,  and  the 
nation  would  not  have  been  called  upon  to  endure  the 
sacrifices  of  blood  and  treasure  which  followed  as  a  direct 
consequence  of  their  treason. 

It  has  been  remarked  in  the  first  part  of  the  present 
chapter  that  what  the  author  terms  a  perso7tal  fact  has- 
been  suppressed  in  the  public  records  through  extreme 
magnanimity.  The  official  registers  of  the  army  and 
navy  contain  the  names  of  the  loyal  and  disloyal,  with  no- 
distinguishing  mark  other  than  to  note  under  the  regu- 
lar headings,  Resigned,  Dropped,  Dismissed,  etc,  the 
names  of  those  who  infamously  betrayed  their  trusts, 
the  reader  being  left  wholly  without  information  as  to 
why  certain  officers  resigned,  why  certain  others  were 
dropped,  and  certain  others  were  dismissed. 

At  the  close  of  a  civil  war  which  determined  the 
indissoluble  character  of  the  American  Union  and  estab- 
lished the  authority  of  the  Government  over  States  that 


MAGNANIMITY  OF  THE  AMERICAN  GOVERNMENT.       339 

had  resorted  to  armed  rebellion  upon  an  enormous  scale, 
the  nations  of  the  world  were  astonished  at  the  maor- 
nanimity  of  the  conquerors  to  the  conquered.  Such  a 
spectacle  of  charitable  forgiveness  as  then  occurred, 
whereby  leaders  who,  by  every  law  and  usage  of  nations, 
had  merited  summary  execution,  were  freely  pardoned 
and  restored  to  the  full  privileges  of  citizenship,  was 
never  before  witnessed  from  the  time  that  rebellion 
against  governments  first  took  the  desperate  chances  of 
success  or  of  certain  death  to  the  instigators.  Men  hob- 
bling about  the  streets,  mutilated  in  the  defense  of  their 
country  ;  noble-hearted  women  clad  in  vestments  of  deep- 
est black  and  mourning  the  loss  of  husband,  brother, 
relative,  or  friend ;  and  orphaned  children,  from  whom  the 
protecting  and  supporting  arm  of  the  father  had  been  cruel- 
ly wrenched,  joined,  one  and  all,  in  a  sentiment  of  forgive- 
ness, while  the  whole  people  gave  fervent  response  to  the 
words  of  the  mighty  chief  of  the  Union  host  when  ex- 
claiming from  the  American  Capitol,  "  Let  us  have 
peace ! " 

The  course  of  forbearance  and  forgiveness  pursued  by 
the  Government  was  supremely  worthy  of  the  people  of 
the  United  States.  It  was  grand;  it  was  magnanimous ; 
it  was  wise ;  it  was  far-seeing.  It  is  but  a  few  months 
ago  that  an  unfortunate  Canadian,  smarting  under  the 
pain  of  undoubted  wrong  and  Government  oppression, 
inaugurated  a  feeble  resistance  to  the  lawful  authority, 
whereby  a  mere  handful  of  men  lost  their  lives.  It  was  a 
very  small  rebellion  at  best,  and  was  based  upon  griev- 


340  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

ances  that  the  Government  had  refused  or  neglected  to 
remedy,  after  repeated  efforts  had  been  made.  When 
the  leader,  Riel,  had  been  taken,  no  representation  was 
sufficient  to  mitigate  the  sentence,  and  he  was  executed 
like  a  common  felon  upon  the  scaffold. 

As  these  lines  are  being  written  an  extraordinary 
scene  is  taking  place  in  some  of  the  States  lately  in  rebel- 
lion. The  corner-stone  of  a  monument  to  the  dead 
soldiers  of  the  vanquished  Confederacy  has  been  laid  with 
great  pomp  and  amid  wild  enthusiasm  by  the  executive 
head  of  the  late  Confederacy,  Mr.  Jefferson  Davis.  This 
unsuccessful  chieftain  has  been  permitted  by  the  Ameri- 
can people  to  live  quietly  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  home 
and  family,  unharmed  and  unmolested.  At  this  moment 
he  is  making  addresses  and  emitting  sentiments  for  which 
in  any  other  country  of  the  world  he  would  be  hanged 
with  as  little  ceremony  as  possible.  Impotent  of  harm 
himself,  the  general  public  cares  little  as  to  what  he  may 
say  or  do.  But  the  painful  warning  of  the  case  lies  in 
the  significant  and  earnest  response  of  the  people  that 
are  taking  part  in  the  ceremonies  now  being  performed. 
Mr.  Davis  has  assured  the  shouting  crowds  that  the 
Southern  cause  is  not  lost,  and  the  announcement  has 
been  received  with  noisy  approval.  The  thoughtful 
people  of  the  North,  who,  with  wide-open  arms,  received 
their  Southern  brothers  in  a  spirit  of  magnanimous  recon- 
ciliation that  has  no  parallel  in  history,  understand  the 
purport  of  this  sentiment  and  are  viewing  these  demon- 
strations with  silent  alarm.     Some  are  being  led  to  ques- 


LOYALTY  AT  A  PRE  MI  UM.  3  4 1 

tlon  the  wisdom  of  the  magnanimity  of  the  Government 
and  the  people  of  the  North  in  attempting  the  recon- 
struction of  the  Southern  States  upon  a  basis  of  such 
great  leniency. 

However  all  this  may  be,  one  policy  is  plainly  neces- 
sary. Let  the  extreme  of  kindness  be  preserved  toward 
our  brothers  of  the  South.  Let  us  continue  to  extend 
the  hand  of  fellowship  and  national  brotherhood.  Let  us 
blot  out  the  animosities  of  the  war  and  eradicate  every 
trace  of  bitterness  between  the  sections  if  the  Southern 
people  will  consent  to  it.  But  for  the  sake  of  our 
national  existence  and  the  honor  and  manhood  of  our 
people  let  us  never  cease  to  stigmatize  treason  as  a  crime, 
and  to  laud  patriotism  and  fidelity  to  our  country  as 
among  the  sublimest  of  virtues.  These  are  foundation- 
stones  upon  which  rests  the  perpetuity  of  the  American 
Government.  When  weak  sentimentality,  under  the 
form  of  mistaken  magnanimity,  shall  fear  to  applaud  the 
right  lest  the  feelings  of  the  wrong  be  wounded;  when 
the  record  of  the  brave,  the  loyal,  the  true,  shall  be  cast 
into  the  shade  lest  its  exhibition  may  bring  under  light  the 
wickedness  of  the  unworthy,  the  disloyal,  the  treacher- 
ous, then  may  we  well  exclaim  with  the  Roman  Senator, 
"  It  is  all  over  with  the  Republic,"  and  mournfully  await 
with  folded  hands  the  downfall  of  free  governments  and 
the  expiration  of  the  genius  of  liberty. 

In  December,  1863,  the  United  States  Senate  adopted 
a  resolution  requesting  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to 
report  to  that  body  the  names  of  all  officers  of  the  navy 


342  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

and  of  the  marine  corps  who  left  the  service  to  engage  in 
rebelHon.  In  response  to  this  resolution  the  Secretary- 
furnished  the  desired  information,  which  is  repeated  in 
the  present  volume.  So  far  as  the  author's  information 
extends,  however,  no  such  information  relating  to  officers 
of  the  army  has  ever  been  drawn  from  the  records  of  the 
departments  and  placed  in  a  position  of  accessibility  to 
the  public.  Believing  that  justice  to  the  brave  officers 
who  remained  faithful  to  their  trust  demands  it,  and  that 
the  policy  of  concealing,  as  far  as  possible,  the  names  of 
the  faithless  has  the  germ  of  future  evil  in  it,  the  author 
has  caused  to  be  prepared,  though  with  considerable  diffi- 
culty, a  list  of  the  army  officers  who  deserted  their  coun- 
try, either  to  ally  themselves  with  its  enemies  or  to  remain 
passive  spectators  of  its  destruction.  The  list  may  not 
be  critically  accurate,  though  it  is  believed  to  be  substan- 
tially correct. 

The  reader  will  observe  that  those  whose  names  are 
followed  by  an  abbreviation  for  a  Northern  State  indicate 
men  of  the  North  who  went  into  the  service  and  pay  of 
the  enemy.  Fortunately,  these  latter  names  are  few  in 
number. 

Table  VIII. 

Exhibiting  a  list  of  army  officers,  graduates  of  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point,  who  left  the  service  of  the  United  States  upon  the 
inauguration  of  the  Rebellion  in  1861. 

Major  and  Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel  William  H.  T.  Walker, 
Tenth  Infantry,  December  20,  i860. 

Captain  Robert  P.  Maclay,  Eighth  Infantry,  December  31, 
i860.     (Penn.) 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE  U.   S.  ARMY.  343 

Second  Lieutenant  Francis  A.  Sharp,  First  Artillery,  Jan- 
uary 10,  i860.     (Ind.) 

Second  Lieutenant  John  R.  Church,  First  Cavalry,  October 
30,  i860. 

Brigadier-General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  Quartermaster-General, 
April  22,  1861. 

Colonel  Samuel  Cooper,  Adjutant-General,  March  7,  1861. 

Colonel  and  Brevet  Brigadier-General  Albert  S.  Johnston,  Sec- 
ond Cavalry,  May  3,  1861. 

Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee,  First  Cavalry,  April  25,  1861, 

Lieutenant-Colonel  George  B.  Crittenden,  of  the  Regiment  of 
Mounted  Riflemen,  June  10,  1861. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  William  J.  Hardee,  First  Cavalry,  Jan- 
uary 31,  1861. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Gabriel  J.  Rains,  Fifth  Infantry,  July  31, 
1861. 

Major  Richard  B.  Lee,  Commissary  of  Subsistence,  May  9, 1861. 

Major  and  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  B.  Grayson,  Com- 
missary of  Subsistence,  July  i,  1861. 

Brevet  Major  William  W.  Mackall,  Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
July  3,  1861. 

Major  and  Brevet  Colonel  Benjamin  Huger,  Ordnance  Depart- 
ment, April  22,  1 86 1. 

Major  Theophilus  H.  Holmes,  Eighth  Infantry,  April   22,  1861. 

Major  Robert  S.  Garnett,  Ninth  Infantry,  April  30,  1861. 

Major  Earl  Van  Dorn,  Second  Cavalry,  January  31,  1861. 

Major  and  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  H.  Winder,  Third 
Artillery,  April  27,  1861. 

Major  Edmund  K.  Smith,  Second  Cavalry,  April  6,  1861. 

Major  Richard  C.  Gatlin,  Fifth  Infantry,  May  20,  1861. 

Major  Henry  H.  Sibley,  First  Dragoons,  May  13,  1861. 

Captain  James  A.  J.  Bradford,  Ordnance  Department,  May  i, 
1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Abraham  C.  Meyers, 
Assistant  Quartermaster,  January  23,  1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major  Henry  C.  Wayne,  Assistant  Quar- 
termaster, December  31,  i860. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  B.  Magruder, 
First  Artillery,  April  20,  186 1. 


344  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

Captain  and  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Daniel  Ruggles,  Fifth 
Infantry,  May  7,  1861.     (Mass.) 

Captain   and    Brevet   Major   Larkin    Smith,  Eighth   Infantry, 
May  13,  1861. 

Captain  Thomas  Jordon,  Assistant  Quartermaster,  May  2, 1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major  James  G.  Martin,  Assistant  Quar- 
termaster, June  14,  1861. 

Captain  Arnold  Elzy,  Second  Artillery,  April  25,  1861. 

Captain  Lucius  B.  Northrop,  First  Dragoons,  January  8,  1861. 

Captain  Richard  S.  Ewell,  First  Dragoons,  May  7,  1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet   Major  John  C.  Pemberton,  Fourth  Artil- 
lery, April  29,  1861.     (Penn.) 

Captain  William  B.  Blair,  Commissary  of  Subsistence,  May  14, 
1861. 

Captain  John  P.  McCown,  Fourth  Artillery,  May  17,  1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major   Edward  Johnson,  Sixth  Infantry 
June  10,  1861, 

Captain  Ruben  P.  Campbell,  Second  Dragoons,  May  11,  1861. 

Captain  Lafayette  McLaws,  Seventh  Infantry,  March  23,  1861. 

Captain  William  Steele,  Second  Dragoons,  May  30,  1861.  (N.  Y.) 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major  Peter  G.  T.  Beauregard,  Corps  of 
Engineers,  February  20,  1861. 

Brevet  Captain    David  R.  Jones,  Assistant  Adjutant-General, 
February  15,  1861. 

Captain  Jeremy  F.  Gilmer,  Corps  of  Engineers,  June  29,  1861. 

Captain  Samuel  Jones,  First  Artillery,  April  27,  1861. 

Captain  Edmunds  B.  Halloway,  Eighth  Infantry,  May  14,  1861. 

Captain  John  M.  Jones,  Seventh  Infantry,  May  27,  1861. 

Captain   Richard  H.  Anderson,  Second    Dragoons,  March   3, 
1861. 

Captain  George  E.  Pickett,  Ninth  Infantry,  June  25,  1861. 

Captain  William   M.   Gardner,  Second    Infantry,  January  19, 
1861. 

Captain  Barnard  E.  Bee,  Tenth  Infantry,  March  3,  1861. 

Captain  Henry  Heth,  Tenth  Infantry,  April  25,  1861. 

Captain  Charles  S.  Winder,  Ninth  Infantry,  April  i,  1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major  Samuel  S.  Anderson,  Second  Artil- 
lery, April  27,  1861. 

Captain  William  N.  R.  Beall,  First   Cavalry,  August  20,  1861. 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE   U.   S.  ARMY.  345 

Captain  Richard  B.  Garnett,  Sixth  Infantry,  May  17,  1861. 

Captain  Josiah  Gorgas,  Ordnance  Department,  April  3,  1861. 
(Penn.) 

Captain  Eugene  E.  McKean,  Assistant  Quartermaster,  April 
25,  1861. 

Captain  James  M.  Hawes,  Second  Dragoons,  May  9,  1861. 

Captain  George  H.  Steuart,  First  Cavalry,  April  22,  1861. 

Captain  Nathan  G.  Evans,  Second  Cavalry,  February  27,  1861. 

Brevet  Captain  John  Withers,  Assistant  Adjutant-General  and 
First  Lieutenant  Fourth  Infantry,  March  i,  1861. 

Captain  Martin  L.  Smith,  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers, 
April  I,  1861.     (N.  Y.) 

Captain  Alfred  Cumming,  Tenth  Infantry,  January  19,  1861. 

Captain  John  A.  Brown,  Fourth  Artillery,  July  3,  1861. 

Captain  John  Adams,  First  Dragoons,  May  31,  1861. 

Captain  George  W.  Ley,  Sixth  Infantry,  Aide-de-camp  and 
ex-officio  Lieutenant-Colonel,  March  2,  1861. 

Captain  James  Mcintosh,  First  Cavalry,  May  7,  1861. 

Captain  John  W.  Frazer,  Ninth  Infantry,  March  15,  1861. 

Captain  Seth  M.  Barton,  First  Infantry,  June  11,  1861. 

Captain  William  L.  Cabell,  Assistant  Quartermaster  and  First 
Lieutenant  Seventh  Infantry,  April  20,  1861. 

Captain  William  D.  Smith,  Second  Dragoons,  January  28, 1861. 

Captain  William  H.  C.  Whiting,  Corps  of  Engineers,  February 
20,  1 86 1. 

Captain  Edward  D.  Blake,  Eighth  Infantry,  June  11,  1861. 

Captain  Cadmus  M.  Wilcox,  Seventh  Infantry,  June  8,  1861. 

Captain  Charles  W.  Field,  Second  Cavalry,  May  30,  1861. 

Captain  Robert  Ransom,  First  Cavalry,  May  24,  1861, 

Captain  James  E.  B.  Stuart,  First  Cavalry,  May  14,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  William  G.  Gill,  Fourth  Artillery,  February 
4,1861.     (N.J.) 

First  Lieutenant  Ambrose  P.  Hill,  First  Artillery,  March  i,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Armistead  L.  Long,  Second  Artillery,  June  10, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Caleb  Huse,  First  Artillery,  February  25, 
'1861.     (Mass.) 

First  Lieutenant  Thomas  K.  Jackson,  Eighth  Infantry,  April 
I,  1861. 


346  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

First  Lieutenant  James  L.  Corley,  Sixth  Infantry,  May  4,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Robert  Johnston,  First  Dragoons,  April  25, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Thomas  G.  Williams,  First  Infantry,  March 
15,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  H.  Forney,  Tenth  Infantry,  January  23, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Robert  G.  Cole,  Eighth  Infantry,  January  28, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Philip  Stockton,  First  Cavalry,  February  25, 
1861.     (N.  J.) 

First  Lieutenant  Thornton  A.  Washington,  First  Infantry, 
April  8,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  George  B.  Anderson,  Second  Dragoons,  April 
25,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Samuel  H.  Reynolds,  First  Infantry,  July  28, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  T.  Shaaff,  Second  Cavalry,  February  22, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  George  B.  Cosby,  Second  Cavalry,  May  10, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Stephen  D.  Lee,  Fourth  Artillery,  February 

20,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  James  L.  White,  Third  Artillery,  March  3, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  William  R.  Boggs,  Ordnance  Department, 
February  i,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  Pegram,  Second  Dragoons,  May  10,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Henry  H.Walker,  Sixth  Infantry,  May  3, 1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  B.  Villepigue,  Second  Dragoons,  March 
31,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Matthew  L.  Davis,  Third  Infantry,  May  13, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  William  D.  Pendar,  First  Dragoons,  March 

21,  1 86 1. 

First  Lieutenant  John  Mullins,  Second  Dragoons,  April  24,  1861. 
First  Lieutenant  Thomas  M.  Jones,  Eighth  Infantry,  February 
28,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  B.  Hood,  Second  Cavalry,  April  16, 1861. 


DESERTERS  FROM    THE    U.    S.   ARMY.  2>M 

First  Lieutenant  Lucius  L.  Rich,  Fifth  Infantry,  May  13,   i86i. 

First  Lieutenant  George  W.  C.  Lee,  Corps  of  Engineers,  May 
2,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Laurence  S.  Baker,  Regiment  of  Mounted 
Rifiemen,  May  10,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  James  A.  Smith,  Sixth  Infantry,  May  9,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Hylan  B.  Lyon,  Third  Artillery,  April  30,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  T.  Mercer,  First  Dragoons,  April  26, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  O.  Long,  Second  Infantry,  May  2,  1861. 

(111.) 

First  Lieutenant  James  H.  Hill,  Tenth  Infantry,  May  i,  1861. 
(Me.) 

First  Lieutenant  Frank  S.  Armistead,  Tenth  Infantry,  June  14, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Lunsford  L.  Lomax,  First  Cavalry,  April  25, 
1861.     (R.  I.) 

First  Lieutenant  Fitzhugh  Lee,  Second  Cavalry,  May  21,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Manning  M.  Kimmel,  Second  Cavalry, 
August  14,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  George  Jackson,  Second  Dragoons,  June  i, 
i86i. 

First  Lieutenant  Richard  H.  Brewer,  First  Dragoons,  May  13, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Arthur  S.  Cunningham,  Tenth  Infantry,  June 
25,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Lafayette  Peck,  Eighth  Infantry,  August  23, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Richard  V,  Bonneau,  Third  Infantry, 
March  2,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Horace  Randall,  First  Dragoons,  Febru- 
ary 27,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Frederick  L.  Childs,  First  Artillery,  March 
4,  1861.     (Me.) 

Second  Lieutenant  Robert  C.  Hill,  Fifth  Infantry,  March  3,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Owen  K,  McLemore,  Sixth  Infantry,  April 
8,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  P.  Major,  Second  Cavalry,  March  21, 
1861. 


348  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Second  Lieutenant  William  H.  Jackson,  Regiment  of  Mounted 
Riflemen,  May  i6,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Aurelius  F.  Cone,  First  Infantry,  May  13, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Paul  J.  Quattlebaum,  Ninth  Infantry,  June 
29,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  S.  Marmaduke,  Seventh  Infantry, 
April  17,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  George  W.  Holt,  Third  Infantry,  February 
28,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Henry  C.  McNeill,  Regiment  of  Mounted 
Riflemen,  May  12,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Robert  H.  Anderson,  Ninth  Infantry,  May 
17,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Thomas  J.  Berry,  Second  Dragoons,  Janu- 
ary 28,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Oliver  H.  Fish,  First  Cavalry,  May  i,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Samuel  W.  Ferguson,  First  Dragoons, 
March  i,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Richard  K.  Meade,  Jr.,  Corps  of  Engineers,, 
May  I,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  George  A.  Cunningham,  Second  Cavalry, 
February  27,  186 1. 

Second  Lieutenant  Edward  P.  Alexander,  Corps  of  Engineers, 
May  I,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Byron  M.  Thomas,  Fifth  Infantry,  April  6, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  H.  Hallonquist,  Fourth  Artillery, 
January  i,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Solomon  Williams,  Second  Dragoons,  May 
3,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  William  G.  Robinson,  Second  Infantry, 
May  17,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Andrew  Jackson,  Jr.,  First  Cavalry,  May  7, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  Wheeler,  Jr.,  Regiment  of  Mounted 
Riflemen,  April  22,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  R.  B.  Burtwell,  First  Cavalry,  March 
21,  1861. 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE   U.   S.  ARMY.  349 

Second  Lieutenant  Frank  Huger,  Tenth  Infantry,  May  21^ 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Edward  D.  B.  Riley,  Fourth  Infantry,  June 
13,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  John  S.  Saunders,  Ordnance  Department, 
April  22,  1861 

Second  Lieutenant  Stephen  D.  Ramseur,  Fourth  Artillery, 
April  6,  1861 

Second  Lieutenant  Moses  H.  Wright,  Ordnance  Department, 
May  30,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  William  P.  Smith,  Corps  of  Topo- 
graphical Engineers,  April  27,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Moses  J.  White,  Ordnance  Depart- 
ment, February  7,  186 1. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  Dixon,  Corps  of  Topograph- 
ical Engineers,  June  28,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  William  H.  Echols,  Corps  of  Topo- 
graphical Engineers,  March  21,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Charles  R.  Collins,  Corps  of  Topo- 
graphical Engineers,  June  10,  1861.     (Penn.) 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Samuel  H.  Lockett,  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers, February  i,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Robert  F.  Beckham,  Corps  of  Topo- 
graphical Engineers,  May  3,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Benjamin  F,  Sloan,  Jr.,  Second  Dra- 
goons, March  2,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Wade  H.  Gibbes,  Second  Cavalry, 
January  i,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Harold  Borland,  Fifth  Infantry, 
March  31,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Mathais  W.  Henry,  Regiment  of 
Mounted  Riflemen,  August  19,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  George  O.  Watts,  Regiment  of 
Mounted  Riflemen,  August  10,  1861. 

Paymaster  Lloyd  J.  Beall,  April  22,  1861. 

Paymaster  Robert  H.  Chilton,  April  29,  1861. 

Paymaster  Thomas  G,  Rhett,  April  i,  1861. 

Paymaster  James  Longstreet,  June  i,  1861. 


350  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Declined. 

By  Major  William  W.  Mackall,  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  the 
appointment  of  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  with  the  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel, to  date  from  May  ii,  1861. 

Dropped. 

Captain  Alexander  W.  Reynolds,  Assistant  Quartermaster, 
October  4,  1861. 

Captain  Franklin  Gardner,  Tenth  Infantry,  May  7,  1861. 
(N.  Y.) 

Captain  Henry  B.  Davidson,  First  Dragoons,  July  30,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  James  Deshler,  Tenth  Infantry,  July  15,  1861. 

Dismissed. 

Captain  Carter  L.  Stevenson,  Fifth  Infantry,  June  25,  1861. 

Captain  Dabney  H.  Maury,  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  June 
25,  1861. 

Captain  Charles  H.  Tyler,  Second  Dragoons,  June  6,  1861. 

Captain  Beverly  H.  Robertson,  Second  Dragoons,  August  8, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Joseph  C.  Ives,  Corps  of  Topographical 
Engineers,  December  26,  1861.     (N.  Y.) 

Second  Lieutenant  Nathaniel  R.  Chambliss,  Third  Artillery, 
May  25,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Olin  F.  Rice,  Sixth  Infantry,  June  6,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  E.  Patterson,  Fourth  Infantry, 
June  6,  1861.     (Ind.) 

Second  Lieutenant  Charles  C.  Campbell,  First  Cavalry,  June 
6,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  John  M.  Kerr,  Regiment  of  Mounted 
Riflemen,  July  13,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Llewellyn  G.  Hoxton,  Ordnance 
Department,  May  23,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Clarence  Derrick,  of  the  Corps  of 
Engineers,  July  16,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  Frank  A.  Reynolds,  Second  Dra- 
goons, July  16,  1861. 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE  U.  S.  ARMY.  35 1 

First  Lieutenant  Walter  H.  Stevens,  Corps  of  Engineers,  May 
2,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  H.  Rundell,  Fourth  Infantry,  June  6, 
1861.     (N.  Y.) 

Table  IX. 

Exhibiting  a  list  of  artny  officers,  non-graduates  of  the  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point,  who  left  the  sendee  of  the  United  States  upon  the 
inauguration  of  the  Rebellion  //^  1861. 

Resigned. 

Captain  John  Donovant,  Tenth  Infantry,  December,  29,  i860. 

Colonel  Thomas  T.  Fauntleroy,  First  Dragoons,  May  13,  1861. 

Colonel  Matthew  M.  Payne,  Second  Artillery,  July  23,  1861. 

Colonel  William  W.  Loring,  of  the  Regiment  of  Mounted  Rifle- 
men, May  13,  1861. 

Brevet  Major  George  Deas,  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1861. 

Captain  Henry  Little,  Seventh  Infantry,  May  7,  1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major  Joseph  Selden,  Eighth  Infantry, 
April  27,  1861. 

Captain  Andrew  J.  Lindsay,  Regiment  of  Mounted  Riflemen, 
May  5,  1861. 

Captain  John  G.  Walker,  Regiment  of  Mounted  Riflemen,  July 
31,  1861. 

Captain  Thomas  Claiborne,  Jr.,  Regiment  of  Mounted  Riflemen, 
May  14,  1861. 

Captain  and  Brevet  Major  Lewis  A.  Armistead,  Sixth  Infantry, 
May  26,  1861. 

Captain  William  D.  De  Saussure,  First  Cavalry,  March  i, 
1861. 

Captain  James  J.  Archer,  Ninth  Infantry,  May  14,  1861. 

Captain  William  R.  Bradfute,  Second  Cavalry,  March  21,  1861. 

Captain  William  S.  Walker,  First  Cavalry,  May  i,  1861. 

Captain  Crawford  Fletcher,  Ninth  Infantry,  March  x,  1861. 

Captain  Francis  C.  Armstrong,  Second  Dragoons,  August  13, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Anderson  Merchant,  Second  Artillery,  May  2, 
1861. 


352  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

First  Lieutenant  Julius  A.  De  Lagnel,  Second  Artillery,  May  17, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Caleb  Smith,  Second  Infantry,  May  3,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Walter  H.  Jenifer,  Second  Cavalry,  April  30, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Henry  B.  Kelly,  Tenth  Infantry,  February  27, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  George  W,  Carr,  Ninth  Infantry,  February  20, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Alfred  Iverson,  Jr.,  First  Cavalry,  March  21, 
i86i. 

First  Lieutenant  Lawrence  W.  O'Bannon,  Third  Infantry, 
March  31,  1861 

First  Lieutenant  Edward  F.  Bagley,  Fourth  Artillery,  March  i, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Alexander  E.  Steen,  Third  Infantry  May  10, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Walter  Jones,  First  Infantry,  May  10,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Edwin  J.  Harvie,  Ninth  Infantry,  March  13, 
i86i. 

First  Lieutenant  George  S.  James,  Fourth  Artillery,  February 
I,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  D.  Anderson,  Fourth  Artillery,  April 
I,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Aaron  B.  Hardcastle,  Sixth  Infantry,  May  7, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Richard  H.  Riddick,  First  Cavalry,  May  9, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Thomas  B,  Edelin,  Seventh  Infantry,  May  30, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  G.  Taylor,  Eighth  Infantry,  June  7,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  William  Kearny,  Tenth  Infantry,  June  i,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  R.  Cooke,  Eighth  Infantry,  May  30,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Joseph  F,  Minter,  Second  Cavalry,  March  31, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  R.  Waddy,  Fourth  Artillery,  July  26, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  Charles  W.  Phifer,  Second  Cavalry,  April  i, 
1861. 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE   U.   S.  ARMY.  353 

First  Lieutenant  Edward  Ingraham,  First  Cavalry,  May  2,  i86r. 

First  Lieutenant  Nathaniel  Wickliffe,  Ninth  Infantry,  May  17, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  William  O.  Williams,  Second  Cavalry,  June 
10,  1S61. 

First  Lieutenant  William  H.  Brown,  Eleventh  Infantry,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  William  Butler,  Second  Artillery,  February 
I,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  St.  Clair  Bearing,  Second  Artillery,  Febru- 
ary 7,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Arthur  Shaaff,  Fourth  Infantry,  July  10, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  William  F.  Lee,  Second  Infantry,  April  30, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Joseph  P.  Jones,  Second  Artillery,  January 
28,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Alexander  M.  Haskell,  First  Infantry,  May 
I,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Francis  Mallory,  Fourth  Infantry,  July  10, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  K.  McCall,  Fourth  Infantry,  April 
25,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  William  E.  Burnett,  First  Infantry,  July  17, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  Howard,  Third  Artillery,  April  3, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Gabriel  H.  Hill,  Third  Artillery,  April  29, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  James  H.  Holman,  First  Infantry,  April  17, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Samuel  M.  Cooper,  First  Artillery,  April  5, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Alexander  B.  Montgomery,  Fourth  Artil- 
lery, March  3,  1861. 

Surgeon  Samuel  P.  Moore,  February  25,  1861. 

Surgeon  David  C.  De  Leon,  February  19,  1861. 

Surgeon  Thomas  C.  Madison,  August  17,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Charles  H.  Smith,  April  25,  1861. 


354  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Assistant  Surgeon  John  M.  Haden,  April  25,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Thomas  H.  Williams,  June  i,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Edward  W.  Johns,  April  22,  1861, 

Assistant  Surgeon  William  W.  Anderson,  April  20,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Elisha  P.  Langworthy,  April  30,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Aquila  T.  Ridgely,  June  23,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Andrew  J.  Foard,  April  i,  i86i. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Richard  Potts,  May  7,  186 1, 

Assistant  Surgeon  Robert  L.  Brodie,  May  7,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Nathaniel  S.  Crowell,  May  17,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  John  J.  Gaenslen,  August  17,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Asa  Wall,  May  11,  1861, 

Assistant  Surgeon  Charles  Brewer,  May  7,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Edward  N.  Covey,  June  i,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  William  A.  Carswell,  March  25,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  James  H.  Berrien,  March  17,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  Archibald  M.  Fauntleroy,  May  9,  1861. 

Paymaster  Henry  Hill,  June  14,  1861. 

Paymaster  Sackfield  Maclin,  March  i,  1861. 

Paymaster  Abraham  B,  Ragan,  June  30,  1861. 

Military  Storekeeper  John  M.  Gait,  Ordnance  Department, 
February  28,  1861. 

Military  Storekeeper  Briscoe  G.  Baldwin,  Jr.,  Ordnance 
Department,  April  22,    1861. 

Military  Storekeeper  Theodore  Lewis,  Ordnance  Department, 
February  18,  1861. 

Military  Storekeeper  Frederick  C.  Humphreys,  Ordnance 
Department,  May  22,  i86i. 

Dropped. 

Captain  Robert  R.  Garland,  Seventh  Infantry,  May  23,  1861. 
Assistant  Surgeon  James  C.  Herndon,  November  27,  1861. 

Dismissed. 

Brigadier  and  Brevet  Major-General  David  E.  Twiggs,  March 
I,  1861. 

Captain  John  McNab,  Tenth  Infantry,  July  i,  1861. 

First  Lieutenant  James  E.  Slaughter,  First  Artillery,  May  14, 

1S61. 


DESERTERS  1-KOM    THE    U.    S.    NAVY. 


355 


First  Lieutenant  Andrew  Jackson,  Third  Infantry,  June  6, 
1861. 

First  Lieutenant  John  Thomas  Goode,  Fourth  Artillery,  July 
3,  1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  Edward  Dillon,  Sixth  Infantry,  June  25, 
1861. 

Second  Lieutenant  William  W.  McCreery,  Fourth  Artillery, 
June  3,  1861. 

Brevet  Second  Lieutenant  James  P.  Parker,  Fourth  Infantry, 
July  16,  1861, 

Assistant  Surgeon  Lafayette  Guild,  July  i,  1861. 

Assistant  Surgeon  David  P.  Ramseur,  August  17,  1861, 

Paymaster  Albert  J.  Smith,  June  20,  1861. 

In  presenting  a  list  of  naval  officers  who  also  deserted 
the  standard  of  their  country,  the  author  avails  himself 
of  the  entire  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  hereto- 
fore referred  to.  The  details  relating  to  each  individual 
are  fuller  than  it  has  been  possible  to  obtain  in  con- 
nection with  the  deserting  army  officers,  but  it  is  deficient 
in  an  important  particular,  viz.:  that  it  does  not  desig- 
nate the  graduates  of  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis. 
The  author  has  attempted  to  supply  the  deficiency  by 
giving  as  complete  a  list  as  he  has  been  able  to  obtain  of 
the  graduates  of  the  Academy,  from  the  year  1845  ^^  ^^ 
year  i860  inclusive. 

A  comparison  of  the  list  of  graduates  of  the  Naval 
Academy  during  the  years  indicated  with  the  list  of 
deserters  to  the  Confederate  service,  as  given  by  Secre- 
tary Welles,  will  show  whether  the  deserting  officer  en- 
tered the  United  States  navy  through  the  Academy,  or 
by  prior  appointment  as  midshipman.  Unfortunately,  the 
names  of  a  number  of  individuals  appear  in  the  list  of 


356  THE   VOLUA'TEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

graduates  from  the   Naval   Academy  and  also  in  that  of 
deserters  from  the  naval  service. 

The  report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  is  as  follows: 

"  Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 

^^Transmitting,  in  answer  to  a  resolution  of  the  Senate  of  the  21st  of 

December,   1863,  a  list  of  officers   of  the  navy  and  of  the  marine 

corps  who,  between  the  first  day  of  December,  i860,  and  the  first  day 

of  December,  1863,  left  the  service,  7vith  the  grade  and  rajik  of  each. 

January  5,   1864.     Read,  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Naval 

Affairs,  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

"Navy  Department,  December  29,  1863. 
'*  Sir :  The  resolution  of  the  Senate,  dated  the  21st  instant, 
which  directs  '  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  be  requested  to 
report  to  the  Senate  the  names  of  all  officers  of  the  navy  and  of 
the  marine  corps  who,  between  the  first  day  of  December,  i860, 
and  the  first  day  of  December,  1863.  left  the  service,  either  by 
resignation  or  desertion,  stating  which,  to  engage  in  the  rebellion 
against  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  giving  the  grade  or 
rank,  and  also  designating  such  (if  any)  as  have  been  formally  dis- 
missed by  the  President,'  has  been  received,  and  I  have  the  honor 
to  transmit  herewith  a  statement  embodying  the  information 
called  for. 

"  It  will  be  observed  that  the  names  of  all  officers  who  have  left 
the  service  between  the  periods  referred  to,  for  whatever  cause,  are 
embraced  m  the  list  submitted.  Those  marked  as  being  in  the 
'rebel  navy'  are  ascertained  to  have  entered  that  service  from  a 
copy  of  the  '  register  of  the  commissioned  and  warrant  officers  of 
the  navy  of  the  Confederate  States,  to  January  i,  1863,'  published  at 
Richmond,  Virginia,  and  now  in  the  possession  of  the  department. 
"Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  Gideon  Welles, 

"  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 
"Hon.  H.  Hamlin, 

"  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  and  President  of 
the  Senate." 


DESERTERS  FROM   THE   U.   S.   NAVY. 


357 


Table  X. 

List  of  all  Officers  of  the  United  States  Navy  and  Marine  Corps  who 
left  the  Service  between  December  i,  i860,  and  December  i,  1863,  by 
resignation^  dismissal,  or  desertion,  to  engage  in  the  Rebellion  against 
the  Government,  or  otherwise. 


Names. 

Rank. 

How  left  the 
service. 

Remarks. 

Lawrence  Rousseau.... 

Thomas  M.  Newell 

Isaac  Mayo 

Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain    . .  . 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

At  the  South. 

Died  day  of  dismissal. 

In  rebel  navy. 

French  Forest 

Josiah  Tattnal 

Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
At  the  South. 

Hugh  N.  Page 

Harrison  H.  Cocke 

At  the  South. 

Victor  M.  Randolph 

Franklin  Buchanan 

George  N.  Hollins 

Duncan  N.  Ingraham. . . 
George  A.  Magruder... 
Samuel  Barron 

Captain  .... 
Captain  ... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Captain  .... 
Commander 
Commander 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 
Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned . . . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. .  . 
Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Residing  in  Canada. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
At  the  South 

William  F.  Lynch 

Isaac  S.  Sterrett 

Joseph  Meyers 

William  Green 

At  the  South 

Edward  B.  Boutwell. . . . 

Commander 

Residing  in  Washington. 

Sidney  Smith  Lee 

William  C.  Whittle 

Robert  D.  Thorburn 

John  Manning 

Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 

Dismissed. . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. .  . 
Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
At  the  South. 

Robert  G.  Robb 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  W.  Hunter 

Commander 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Murray  Mason 

Commander 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Ebenezer  Farrand 

Commander 

Resigned. . . 

Charles  H.  McBlair. . . . 
Archibald  B.  Fairfax  . . . 

Commander 
Commander 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

William  McBlair 

Richard  L.  Page 

Frederick  Chatard 

Arthur  Sinclair 

Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 
Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed.  . 

Joined  rebel  navy;  since  dead 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Chas.  H.  A.  H.  Kennedy 

358 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


JVames. 


Thomas  W.  Brent 

John  K.  Mitchell 

Matthew  F.  Maury 

Raphael  Semmes 

Edward  L.  Handy 

William  Chandler 

John  R.  Tucker 

Thomas  J.  Page 

George  Minor 

Robert  F.  Pinckney  . . .  . 

Thomas  R.  Rootes 

Henry  J.  Hartstene  . .  .  . 
James  L.  Henderson  . . . 

William  T.  Muse 

Thomas  T.  Hunter 

Charles  F.  Mcintosh  . . . 

George  H.  Preble 

James  W.  Cooke 

Chas.  F.  M.  Spotswood. 

J.  J.  B.  Walbach 

William  L.  Maury 

Francis  B.  Renshaw. . . . 

James  H.  North 

Robert  B.  Pegram 

Richard  L.  Tilghman. . , 

Charles  Hunter 

George  T.  Sinclair 

Carter  B.  Poindexter. . 

James  B.  Lewis 

Henry  H.  Lewis 

George  W.  Harrison. . . 

James  D,  Johnston . 

James  N.  Maffit 

Washington  Gwathmey 
William  A.  Wayne  .... 

Peter  U.  Murphy 

Isaac  N.  Brown 

John  J.  Guthrie 

Joseph  N.  Barney 

S.  Chase  Barney 

Thomas  B.  Huger 


Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 
Commander 

Commander 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  , 
Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  , 
Lieutenant  , 
Lieutenant  , 


IIoTv  left  the 


Remarks. 


Resigned. . . 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 
Resigned.  . . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. , 
Dismissed. , 
Resigned. . , 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. , 
Resigned. . 
Resigned . . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 

Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 


In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

At  the  South. 

By  court-martial. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  service. 

Joined   rebel  service;   killed 

at  New  Orleans. 
Neglect  of  duty;  since  rein- 
In  rebel  navy.  [stated. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  not  known. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Did  not  go  south. 
Sentence  of  court-martial. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
At  the  South. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Joined  rebel  navy;  since  dead 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Joined  rebel  navy ;  since  killed 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE   U.   S.  NAVY. 


359 


How  left  the 

Names. 

Rank. 

sei-z'ice. 

Remarks. 

John  Rutlege 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Catesby  ap  R.  Jones.. . . 

Lieutenant  . 

Silas  Bent 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 

Van  R.  Morgan 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

John  S.  Taylor 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

Joined  rebel  army;  since  dead 

E.  Lloyd  Winder 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  H.  Parker 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Joel  S.  Kennard 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  Wilkinson 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

W.  Winder  Pollock 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Charles  M.  Morris 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Chas.  M.  Fauntleroy  . . . 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  B.  Fitzgerald 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

Joined  rebel  navy;  since  died. 

Alphonse  Barbot 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

By  sentence  of  court-martial; 
in  rebel  navy. 

John  S.  Maury 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Charles  W.  Hays 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Henry  K.  Stevens 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

Joined  rebel  navy;  since  killed 

Reginald  Fairfax 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

Joined  rebel  navy;  since  dead 

William  A.  Webb 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Maurice  Simons 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 

At  the  South. 

Charles  C.  Semmes 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Julian  Meyers .... 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy.        [unknown. 

Robert  M.  McArann  . . . 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

For  misconduct;  whereabouts 

Alex.  F.  Warley 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  W.  Bennett 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Jonathan  H.  Carter 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Augustus  McLaughlin.. 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  H.  Parker 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

J.  Pembroke  Jones 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  L.  Powell 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  army. 

William  H.  Murdaugh  . . 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  M.  Brooke. 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy.                [Navy. 

Joseph  D.  Danels 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned . . . 

Acting     Lieutenant     U.     S. 

John  Kell 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

In  rebel  navy.         [unknown. 

Alex.  M.  De  Bree 

Lieutenant  . 

Edward  A.  Selden 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

For  misconduct;  whereabouts 

James  H.  Rochelle 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Robert  D.  Minor 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

N.  H.  VanZandt 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

David  P.  McCorkle 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  Sharp 

Lieutenant . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

360 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER    OE  AMERICA. 


Navies. 

Rank. 

How  left  the 
service. 

Remarks. 

James  J.  Waddell 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Joseph  Fry  

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 
Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
Did  not  go  south. 

Robert  Selden 

Lieutenant  . 

George  H.  Bier 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Charles  P.  McGary 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned.  . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Hunter  Davidson 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navv. 

Dulany  A.  Forest 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

Joined  rebel  navy 

,  since  dead 

Robert  R.  Carter 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  R.  Hamilton 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Oscar  F.  Johnston 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Beverly  Kennon 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  Taylor  Wood .    ... 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  R.  Eggleston 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Robert  T.  Chapman. . . . 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  P.  A.  Campbell  . . . 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Joseph  D.  Blake  

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  T.  Glassell 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Benj.  P.  Loyall 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  H.  Ward 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

J.  W.  Dunnington 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

F.  K    Shepherd 

Lieutenant 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Thos.  P.  Pelot 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 

[unknown. 

A.  J.  McCartney 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

For  misconduct ;  whereabouts 

William  G.  Dozier 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  L.Bradford 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Philip  Porcher 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

[unknown. 

George  E.  Law 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

For  misconduct;  whereabouts 

H.  H.  Dalton 

Lieutenant  . 
Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 
Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

George  S.  Shryock  .... 

Thomas  K.  Porter 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  army. 

J.  W.  Alexander 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  M.  Stribling ...... 

Lieutenant  . 

Resigned. .  . 

Joined  rebel  navy 

since  dead 

Charles  J.  Graves 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Walter  R.  Butt 

Lieutenant  . 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  E.  Evans 

Master ...    . 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned.  . . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Thos.  B.  Mills 

Master 

Wm.  A.  Kerr 

Master .    ... 

Wm.  C.  Whittle 

Master 

John  Pearson 

Master 

Master 

Resigned.  .  . 
Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 
At  the  South. 

H.  A.  F.  Young 

John  Grimball 

Midshipman 

Resigned.  .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wilburn  B.  Hall 

Midshipman 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy 

DESEKTEKS  EJWM    THE    U.    S.   NAVY. 


361 


Names. 

Ranl^. 

How  left  the 

sen' ice. 

Remarks. 

Chas.  W.  Read 

Midshipman 

Resigned.. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Edmund  G.  Read 

Midshipman 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Thomas  L.  Dornin 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  L.  Hoole 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Francis  L.  Hoge 

Midshipman 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Samuel  W.  Averett 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  L.  Tayloe 

Midshipman 

Dismissed.  . 

At  the  South. 

S.  W.  Hackett 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed.  . 
Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown 
In  rebel  navy. 

Geo.  A.  Borchert 

Thos.  L.  Harrison 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. , 

Henry  B.  Claiborne  .... 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Hillary  Cenas 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Not  at  the  South, 

A.  D.  Wharton 

Dismissed. . 

Charles  H.  Rogers 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Edward  H.  Clark 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Robert  C.  Hopkins 

Midshipman 

Resigned. .  . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Wm.  L.  Marsh 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  H.  Potter 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Wm.   Hammett 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Morrow  W.  Lowry 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Allen  C.  Kelton 

Midshipman 

Resigned . . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  H.  Ballance. . . . 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  W.  Reynolds. . . 

Midshipman 

Resigned. .  . 

Not  at  the  South. 

C.  C.  Clements 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

Charles  T.  Pond 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  B.  Goodkin  . . . 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Henry  W.  Sprole 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Thos.  G.  Welles 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Henry  C.  Townsend. . . . 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Frederick  Sturtevant  . . . 

Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

C.  P.  Hone 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 
Not  at  the  South. 

E.  F.  J.  Warren 

Francis  D,  Campbell  . . . 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Wm.  Johnston 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Richard  F.  James 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

R.  H.  Brshnell 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Smith  Egbert 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 
Not  at  the  South. 

Robert  J.  Sperry 

George  A.  Crall 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Henry  D.  Wyman 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Henry  D.  Fuller 

Midshipman 

Dismissed.  . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Thomas  Williams 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

362 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


A^ames. 

Rank. 

Hotv  left  the 
service. 

Remarks. 

James  P.  Wygum 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

William  E.  Lathey 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Joseph  K.  Kelsoe 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

F.  H.  Bolenius 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Francis  D.  Foote 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  J.  Schroeder. . . 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

James  K.  Goodhue 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

James  P.  Hale .    

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  B.  Murray 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Charles  McJ.  Engle  .... 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  A.  McKown  . . . 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Thaddeus  P.  Anderson. 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Buchanan  Beale 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Richard  L.  Ross 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Thomas  S.  Flood 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Francis  W.  Perkins  .... 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Stephen  D.  Adams 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

John  McK.  Duncan  .... 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

F.  M.  Keith 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  B.  McMichael  , 

Not  at  the  South. 

P.  McL.  Washebaugh  . . 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

John  F.  Fisher 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Alfred  W.  Baylies 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Charles  J.  Blake 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Erastus  M.   Parker 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Mitchell  M.  Jamar 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

John  C.  Orner 

Midshipman 
Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Charles  J.  Buchan 

Not  at  the  South. 

Lawrence  Mallory 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  T.  Jewett 

Midshipinan 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Stephen  D,  Field 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

John  Dunscomb 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Frederick  L.  Lincoln  . . . 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

John  T.  Tinker 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Franklin  Kneass 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

George  W.  Lewis 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Henry  H.  Wilson 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Robert  S.  Ryers 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Charles  H.  Sedgwick. . . 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Hobart  Berrien,  Jr 

Midshipman 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

C.    Preston 

Midshipman 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Dismissed.  . 
Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Robert  C.  Fonte 

In  rebel  navy. 

DESERTERS  EROM    THE    U.    S.   NAVY. 


Names. 

Rati/:. 

/low  left  the 
service. 

Remarks. 

R.  H.  Bacot 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned.  . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

John  T.  Walker 

Wm.  W.  Wilkinson  .... 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Ochran  C.  Howard 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Robert  Flournoy 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . , 

In  rebel  navy. 

Napoleon  J.  Smith 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Sardine  G.  Stone 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Francis  M.  Robey 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  R.  Price 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  F.  Robinson 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Jas.  G.  Baldwin 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Isaac  C.  Holcombe 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Hugh  L.  Hill 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned.. . 
Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Robert  Payne 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Jas.  A.  Meriwether  .... 

In  rebel  navy. 

Raphael  Moses 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Horatio  G.  McCIintock. 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  E.  Pinckney 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Barron  Carter 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Thos.  M.  Berrien 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navv. 

David  Moodey 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned.. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  Van  Comstock. . . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  H.  Comstock 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  W.  Carnes 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

M.  P.  Goodwvn 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  H.  Ingraham . 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Dabney  M.  Scales 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Thos.  G.  Garrett 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  M.  Reber 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Joseph  D.  Wilson 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  F.  Holden 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  A.  Hicks 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  P.  Lee 

Not  at  the  South. 

A.  G.  Hudgins 

In  rebel  navy. 

H.  H.  Dougherty 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

W.  R.  Dalton 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

George  D.  Bryan  

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Giles  F.  Appleton 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Chas.  H.  Daniels 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. .  . 

U.  S.  marine  corps. 

Jas.  W.  Ahl 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

John  C.  Fortune 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

isilas  S.  Willett 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned . . . 

Temporary  service  U.  S.  N. 

\H 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Names. 


How  left  the 


Remarks. 


William  W.  Young.. . 

John  A.  Hopkins 

James  A.  Peters 

Benj.  Heath,  Jr 

Louis  E.  Fagan 

Edward  P.  Guthrie... 

James  A.  Dick 

Robert  E.  Carmody". . 

Wm.  H.  Hivling 

H.  H.  Marmaduke  . . . 
Edward  S.  Buggies. . . 

David  A.  Telfair 

Wm.  C.  Osterloh 

Wm,  L.  Ames 

John  S.  Livingston. .  . 
Le  R.  H.  Washington 
Henry  S.  H.  Williams 

Lucius  E.  Heath 

Wm.  B.  Gushing 

Cassius  Meyer 

James  E.  Fiske 

James  M.  Morgan.... 
Edward  J.  McDermott 

Thos.  L.  Moore 

George  A.  Howard. . . 

Wm.  P.  Mason 

Henry  C.  Holt 

Mortimer  M.  Benton. 

Daniel  Trigg 

Francis  T.  Chew 

Joseph  P.  Claybrook  . 
Andrew  P.  Beirne... . 

Wm.  C.  Hutter 

Robert  A.  Camm 

Richard  S.  Floyd 

Daniel  Carroll 

Wm.  C.  Jackson 

Wm.  W.  Read 

Joseph  M.  Gardner. .  . 

Chas.  F.  Sevier 

Aug.  O.  Wright 

Theo.  Sturdivant.    ... 


Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 
Ac'g 


d'n 

d'n 
d'n, 
d'n 
d'n, 
d'n. 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n. 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n, 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n. 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n, 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 
d'n. 


Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned, 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 
Resigned. 


Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown, 
W^hereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  army. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Lieutenant,  U.  S.  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  army. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 


D£S£J^TEKS  FROM    THE    U.    S.    ARMY. 


365 


Ahimes. 

Rank. 

How  left  the 
service. 

Reviarks. 

Ivey  Foreman 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Alex,  M.  Mason 

Algernon  S.  Worth 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned . .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

H.  B.  Littlepage 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  M.  Stafford 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Henry  S.  Cooke 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.  . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Henry  C.  McDaniel. . . . 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.  .  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

James  M.  Pearson 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  J.  Carroll 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wyndham  R.  Mayo  .... 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Onis  A.  Browne 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Henry  L.  Vaughan 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Gale  W.  Sparks   

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  D.  Goode 

Ac'g  Mid'n , 

Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  C.  Long 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . , 
Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 

Joseph  B.  Peyton 

Julien  M.  Spencer 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Charles  K.  King 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Jefferson  Phelps  .    

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned, . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Wm.  M.  Pipkin 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Gustavus  English 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  J.  Craig 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 

Chas.  L.  Schultz 

Alfred  F.  Brady 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. .  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  A.  Duer 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . , 
Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown 

Thos.  L.  Morris 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

E.  Buckmaster 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned . . . 
Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

C.  H.  Brantingham 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Thos.  R.  Brookes 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.  . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

George  F.  Hyam 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Franklin  S.  Cantrell. . . . 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Daniel  W.  Davies 

Ac'g  Mid"n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

John  C.  Doughty 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  D.  Groves 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Henry  F.  Struse 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.  . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  A.  Doliver 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.    . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Robert  W.  Alexander  . . 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

James  B.  Baker 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  Robinson 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.  . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Wm.  H.  Smith 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned.    . 
Resigned   . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Junius  D.  Crabb 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Francis  O.  Blake 

Ac'g  Mid'n. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

366 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Names. 


Hoiv  left  the 


Remarks, 


Wm.  H.  Dunn 

Wm.  H.  Webb 

Alfreds.  Newlin 

George  H.  Laughton  . . . 

Peter  V.  Bussing 

George  J.  Richardson  . . 

Wm.  A.  Hess 

Amariah  H.  Hicks 

Edward  D.  Breed 

Samuel  C.  Buckingham. 
Norris  P.  Stockwell . . .  . 
Arnold  H.  Dohrman. . . . 

Wm.  H.  Mott 

Henry  W.  Golden 

Peter  V.  Hasker 

Joseph  L.  Bay 

Edward  Rodman 

Henry  O.  Proctor 

Lewis  M.  Albright 

Walter  S.  Johns 

Edward  P.  Nillis 

George  H.  Chapman  . .  . 

Samuel  R.  Whitall 

Arthur  P.  Selby 

Edgar  A.  De  Camp 

Francis  D.  Campbell. . . 

F.  Y.  Commager 

Chas.  H.  Poor,  Jr 

John  A.  Hopkins 

Wm.  R.  Hunter 

Jas.  E.  Whitwell 

Julius  M.  Beemer 

John  C.  Connor 

Edwin  S.  Fowle 

F.  H.  Freeman 

Goorge  Blacknall 

James  Cornick 

Wm.  F.  Patton 

W.  A.  W.  Spotswood. . . 

Lewis  W.  Minor 

Wm.  F.  McClenahan. . . 
Daniel  S.  Green 


Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Ac'g  Mid'n. 
Surgeon. 
Surgeon . 
Surgeon. 
Surgeon. 
Snrgf'on . 
Surgeon. 
Surgeon. 


Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned . . 
Resigned . . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned.  . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. , 


Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Died  at  the  South. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 


DESERTERS  7- ROM   THE   C.   S.  ARMY. 


Z^7 


A'ames. 

Rank. 

IIoiv  left  the 
scri'uc. 

Remarks. 

John  T,  Mason 

Surgeon. . . . 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed.  . 

At  the  South. 

William  B.  Sinclair 

Surgeon. . . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Richard  W.  Jeffrey 

Surgeon. . . . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  naw. 

Thomas  B.  Steele 

Surgeon. . . . 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

James  F.  Harrison 

Surgeon. . . . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  D.  Harrison  . . . 

Surgeon. . . . 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

William  J.  Hay 

Surgeon. . . . 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  M.  Page 

Surgeon. . . . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Randolph  F.  Mason 

Surgeon 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Charles  F.  Fahs 

Surgeon. . . . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Morris  B.  Beck 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Resigned. . . 

At  the  South. 

J.  W.  B.  Greenhow 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

D.  B.  Philips 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Resigned.. . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned... 

In  rebel  navy. 

John  Ward 

P.Ass'tSur. 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  F.  Carrington. . 

P.Ass'tSur. 

In  rebel  navy. 

Charles  H.  Williamson  . 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Arthur  M.  Lynah 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Resigned.. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  E.  Wysham .... 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Daniel  B.  Conrad 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Francis  L.  Gait 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

H,  W.  M.  Washington  . 

P.Ass'tSur. 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

H.  L.   Sheldon 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 
t  Surg'n 
t  Surg'n 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 
Dismissed.  . 

Did  not  go  south. 

A.  S.  Garnett 

Ass 
Ass 

In  rebel  navy. 

J.  W.  Sanford,  Jr 

In  rebel  navy. 

Charles  Lowndes,  Jr. . . 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed.  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Charles  E.  Lining 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Thomas  J.  Charlton 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

M.  P.  Christian 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Robert  J.  Freeman 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Bennett  W.  Green 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Joseph  D.  Grafton 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  E.  Lindsay 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  W.  Herty 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

O.  S.  Iglehart 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

F.  Van  Bibber 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Dismissed.  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

John  Homans  ......... 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 
Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  Carter 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 
t  Surg'n 

Not  at  the  South. 

Charles  O.  Carpenter. . . 

Ass 

Not  at  the  South„ 

R.  E.  Van  Geison 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned.  . . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Alexander  Hutchins 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

James  H.  Mears 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned.  .  . 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  F.  Terry 

Ass 

t  Surg'n 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South, 

368 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Navies, 

Rank. 

How  left  the 
service. 

Remarks. 

Thomas  H.  Whitney  . . . 

Ass't  Surg'n 

Rcpigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

J.  Otis  Burt 

Ass't  Surg'n 
Paymaster  . 
Paymaster  . 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South 

John  De  Bree 

In  rebel  navy. 
At  the  South. 

Thomas  B.  Nalle 

Resigned. .  . 

L.  Warrington 

Paymaster  . 
Paymaster  . 

Dismissed .  . 

Not  at  the  South 

Thomas  R.  Ware 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

James  A.  Semple. 

Pavmaster  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Richard  T.  Allison 

Paymaster  . 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

John  Johnson 

Paymaster  . 
Paymaster  . 

Dismissed . . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

W.  W.  J.  Kelly 

Resigned.  .  . 

R.  F.  Gallaher 

Paymaster  . 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

James  K.  Harwood  .... 

Paymaster  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

George  R.  Ritchie 

Paymaster  . 

Resigned. . . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Henry  Meyers 

Paymaster  . 
Paymaster  . 
Pavmaster  . 

Resigned. . . 
Dismissed. . 
Resigned. .  . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 

Felix  Senac 

John  W.  Nixon 

Miles  H.  Morris 

Paymaster  . 

Dismissed.  . 

At  the  South.      " 

George  W.  Clark 

Paymaster  . 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  army. 

Granville  T.  Pierce 

Paymaster  . 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South, 

Benjamin  F.  Camp 

As'tPaym'r. 

Resigned. . . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Charles  W.  Thomas  .... 

Chaplain  . . . 

Resigned. .  . 

At  the  South. 

James  A.  Coleman 

Chaplain  . . . 

Resigned. .  . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Alexander  W.  Lawrence 

Prof.  Math'cs 

Dismissed.  . 

At  the  South. 

Thomas  J.  Robinson  . . . 

Prof.  Math'cs 

Dismissed.  . 

At  the  South. 

Fred.  G.  Hesse 

Prof.  Math'cs 

Resigned. .  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

"William  P.  Williamson  . 

Chief  Eng'r. 

Dismissed.  . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Samuel  Archbold 

Chief  Eng'r. 

Resigned. . . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Michael  Quinn 

Chief  Eng'r. 
Chief  Eng'r. 

Dismissed.  . 
Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navv. 

James  H.  Warner 

N.  P.  Patterson 

Chief  Eng'r. 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Thomas  A.  Jackson  .... 

Chief  Eng'r. 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navv. 

Robert  H.  Long 

Chief  Eng'r. 

Resigned. .  . 

Not  at  the  South. 

William  C.  Wheeler 

Chief  Eng'r. 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

T,  B.  C.  Stump 

istAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed. . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

Edward  W.  Manning. . . 

istAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Henry  A.  Ramsay 

IstAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

Richard  C.  Potts 

IstAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed. . 

Not  at  the  South. 

Virginius  Freeman 

IstAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navv. 

George  W.  City 

IstAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed. . 

In  rebel  navy. 

William  P.  De  Sanno. . . 

IstAs'tEng'r 

Dismissed.  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

George  W.  Alexander  . . 

istAs'tEng'r 

Resigned. .  . 

Whereabouts  unknown. 

James  M.  Adams 

istAs'tEng'r 

Resigned. .  . 

Temporary  service  U.  S. 

N. 

DESERTERS  FROM  THE  U.  S.  NAVY. 


369 


Names. 


Charles  Schroeder. .. 

Philip  L.  Mars. 

Edward  Mars. . . . . . 

Marshal  P.  Jordan  . 
Charles  H.  Levy... 
Wm.  Frick,  Jr  . . . . , 

Jas.  S.  Wright. 

John  W.  Tynan. . . , 
Elijah  Laws  ....... 

Loudon  Campbell . . 

Thos,  J.  Griffin 

R.  A.  Copeland. . . . 

C.  A.  Chipley 

A.  B.  Campbell. . . . 
W.  A.  R.  Latimer. . 

E.  S.  Boynton 

Newton  Champion  . 
George  W.  Thome. 
W.  S.  Thompson. . . 

E.  L.  Dick 

Wm.  H.  Glading.. . 

F.  A.  R.  George  . . . 

James  Plunkett 

H.  X.  Wright , 

E.  C.  Patten 

W.  N.  Miller 

G.  W.  Tennent . . . . , 

W.  C.  Stafr 

Benj.  Herring , 

Henry  Fagan 

John  T.  Tucker 

L.  L.  Olmstead 

Chas.  W.  Jordan. . . , 

W.  H.  Fuller 

Sebastian  Crolius  . . , 
George  W.  W.  Dove, 

E.  R.  Arnold 

Wm.  M.  Habershaw 
W.  W.  Shipman. . . . , 

T.  S.  Smith , 

Joseph  Mercer 

G.  W.  Wilkinson. . . 


1st  As't  En. 
1st  As't  En. 
1st  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
2d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 
3d  As't  En. 


How  left  the 


Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Deserted  . . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed, 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned.  . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned . . 


Remarks. 


In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Temporary  service  U.  S.  N. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Not  at  the  South. 
Not  at  the  South. ' 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 


370 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


Names. 


John  E.  Cooper , 

H.  R.  Lawrence 

R.  F.  Hatfield , 

Thos.  Petterick , 

E.  S.  Hutchinson  . . . . , 

T.  M.  Mitchell , 

Edward  Curtis , 

C.  J.  Cooper 

Chas.  B.  Dahlgren 

C.  S.  Hunt 

John  Stell 

Noah  W.  Moffett 

Isaac  J.  Griffiths 

R.  E,  Halsey 

Peter  C.  Riley 

B.  J.  McGurran 

Wm.  Smith , 

John  Dunderdale , 

Chas.  H.    Hasker 

James  M.  Miller , 

Henry  P.  Grace 

Wm.  Winchester 

George  Dean 

A.  J.  Robinson 

Joseph  Shankland 

Nelson  Goodrich 

C.  H.  Hatfield 

J.  C.  Myers 

John  Owins 

Charles  B.  Oliver 

John  A.  Lovett 

Charles  Moran 

L.  K.  Ellis 

Herman  Peters 

Otis  H.  Gilmore 

Wm.  Summers 

Benj.  Roberts 

Wm.  Wade 

G.   H.   Brooks 

Wm.  Yates 

John  Duncan  

George  A.  Parkhurst . . 


3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En, 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
3d  As't  En 
Boatswain. 
Boatswain . 
Boatswain . 
Boatswain . 
Boatswain . 
Boatswain . , 
Boatswain. , 
Boatswain . . 
Boatswain . , 
Boatswain . . 
Boatswain. , 
Boatswain . , 
Gunner  . . . . 
Gunner  . . . , 
Gunner  . . . , 
Gunner . . . , 
Gunner  . . . . 
Gunner  , . .  . 
Gunner . . .  . 
Gunner . . . . 
Gunner . . . . 
Gunner . . . . 
Gunner  . .  . . 
Gunner  .  . . . 
Gunner  .  . . . 
Gunner  . . . . 


Ho-w  left  the 


Resigned. . 
Resigned. , 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Deserted  . . 
Deserted  . . 
Dismissed, 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Deserted  . . 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Deserted. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 


Remarks. 


Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Temporary  service  U.S.  N, 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
At  the  South, 
At  the  South. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Did  not  go  South. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
At  the  South. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Temporary  service  U.  S.  N 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unnnown. 
Whereabouts  unknown 


DESERTERS  FROM  THE  U.  S.  NAVY. 


371 


Names. 


Rank. 


How  left  the 


Remarks. 


Samuel  Cross 

Charles  A.  Stephenson 

Chafles  Seymour 

Charles  De  Bevoise  . . . 
Charles  L.  Duncan. . . . 

William  Knight 

James  Meads 

Henry  G.  Thomas  . . , . 

John  T.  Rustic 

Lewis  Holmes 

Robert  M.  Bain 

Edward  Williams 

D.  M.  W.  Nash 

John  H.  Conly 

J.  B.  Hoover 

James  Kinnear 

G.  M.  Doughty 

Washington  Duckett  . . 

Jacob  M.  Dallas 

John  Shannon 

William  Bennett 

George  D.  Blackford  . . 
William  M.  Mahoney.. 

S.  H.  Boutwell 

S.  V.  Turner 

Thomas  Mellen 

George  H.  Wrightman 


Gunner . . 

Gunner  . . 

Gunner  . . 

Gunner . . 

Gunner  . . 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Carpenter 

Sail-maker 

Sail-maker 

Sail-maker 

Sail-maker 

Sail-maker 

Sail-maker 

Sail-maker 


Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Deserted  . . 
Dismissed. 
Deserted  . . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 


Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Temporary  service  U.  S.  N. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
At  the  South. 
At  the  South. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown,  . 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
At  the  South. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
In  rebel  navy. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown 


Marine  Corps. 


Henry  B.  Tyler 

Major 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

George  H.  Terrett 

Major 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Jabez  C.  Rich 

Captain 

Captain  .... 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Algernon  S.  Taylor  .... 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Robert  Tansill 

Captain 

Captain  .... 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

John  D.  Simms 

At  the  South. 

Israel  Green  . , 

1st  Lieuten't 
1st  Lieuten't 

Dismissed. . 
Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

J.  R.  H.  Tatnall  ....... 

At  the  South. 

Adam  N.  Baker 

1st  Lieuten't 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Charles  A.  Henderson. , 

1st  Lieuten't 

Dismissed.  . 

At  the  South. 

Henry  B,  Tyler 

1st  Lieuten't 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Julius  E.  Meiere  ....... 

1st  Lieuten't 

Dismissed. . 

At  the  South. 

Z1^ 


THE  VOL  UNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Names, 


Rank. 


How  left  the 


Remarks. 


Geo,  P.  Turner  . .  . 
Thos.  S.  Wilson  . . . 

Alex..  W.  Stark 

Jacob  Read 

Andrew  J,  Hays  . . . 

Geo.  Holmes 

S.  H,  Matthews 

Robert  Kidd 

Geo.  W.  Cummins  . 
Calvin  L.  Sayers  . , 
Henry  L.  Ingraham 
Becket  K.  Howell.. 
J.  H.  Rathbone, ... 
Oscar  B.  Grant  .... 

J.  M.  Reber 

D.  M.  Sells 


1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
1st  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 
2d  Lieuten 


Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Resigned. . 
Dismissed. 
Dismissed, 
Dismissed. 
Resigned. , 
Resigned, , 
Resigned, , 
Resigned, . 
Resigned. , 
Dismissed. 
Resigned, . 


At  the  South. 
At  the  South. 
At  the  South, 
At  the  South. 
At  the  South. 
At  the  South. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
Whereabouts  unknown. 
At  the  South. 
At  the  South. 
At  the  South. 
Not  at  the  South. 
Not  at  the  South. 
Not  at  the  South. 
Not  at  the  South. 


Table  XI. 


Exhibiting  names  of  the  graduates  of  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis, 
from  the  year  1845  to  the  year  i860,  inclusive,  as  far  as  it  has  been 
possible  to  obtain  them. 

Year  1845. 

Chandler,  Ralph;  Hamilton,  J,  R,;  Hays,  William  B,;  Hodge, 
George  R.;  Houston,  Thomas  T,;  McGunnede,  Wilson. 


Year  1846. 

Braine,  Daniel  L,;  Breese,  Kidder  R,;  Breese,  Samuel  L.;  Broad- 
head,  Edgar;  Carnes,  Edwin  O,;  Foster,  James  P.;  Gherardi,  Ban- 
croft; Gray,  Edwin  F.;  Johnson,  Philip  C,  Jr.;  Johnson,  Oscar  F.; 
Kennon,  Beverly,  Jr.;  Kimberly,  Lewis;  Morris,  George  U.;  Parker, 
James,  Jr.;  Rainey,  John  D.;  Smith,  Charles  B,;  Sproston,  John  G., 
Watters,  John. 


GRADUATES  OF  THE  NAVAL  ACADEMY.  2>72 

Year  1847, 

Belknap,   George   E.;    Benham,   A.   E.   K.;    Blake,  Joseph   D. 
Bowen,  Richard  T.;  Brose,  Frederick  F.;  Campbell,  William  P.  A. 
Chapman,  Robert  T. ;  Cornwell,  John  J.;  Cummings,  Andrew  B. 
Eggleston,  John  R. ;  Flusser,  Charles  W. ;  Tyffe,  Joseph  P.;  Gwin, 
William;  Hand,  B.  E.;   Harmony,  D.  B.;  Irwin,  John;  Lovell,  Will- 
iam S. ;  Maxwell,  James  G. ;  Mygat,  J.  P.  K. ;  Newman,  L.  H.;  Oak- 
ley, E.  H.;  Still  well,  James;  Thoburn,  Charles  E.;  Totten,  Wash- 
ington; Williams,  E.  P.;  Wilson,  Henry;  Wood,  John  S. 

Year  1848. 

Abbott,  Trevett;  Baker,  F.  H.;  Bruce,  James;  Erben,  Henry, 
Jr.;  Fitz  Hugh,  William  E.;  Garland,  Hudson  M.;  Gillis,  James  H.; 
Glassell,  William  T.;  Greene,  Charles  H.;  Greer,  James  A.;  Hile- 
man,  Julius  G.;  Hester,  Isaac  W. ;  Johnston,  John  E.;  Livingstone, 
De  Grasse;  McCann,  William  P.;  Owen,  Elias  K.;  Pendergrast, 
Austin;  Skerritt,  Joseph  S.;  Spedden,  Edward  T.;  Weaver,  Aaron  W. 

Year  1849. 

Adams,  Henry  A.,  Jr.;  Brown,  George;  Chever,  William  H; 
Cushman,  Charles  H.;  Dunnington,  John  W.;  Hawley,  Charles  E.; 
Loyall,  Benjamin  P.;  May,  Robert  L.;  McCrea,  Edward  P.;  Morri- 
son, George  F.;  Pelot,  Thomas  P.;  Sheppard,  Francis  E.;  Shirk, 
James  W.;  Stanton,  Oscar  M.;  Stockton,  Edward  C;  Taylor,  Bush- 
rod  B.;  Taylor,  Jesse,  Jr.;  Thomas,  Calvin  F.;  Ward,  William  H. 

Year  1850. 

Armstrong,  ^Eneas;  Babcock,  Chas.  A.;  Bacon,  Geo.;  Beards- 
ley,  L.  A.;  Bord,  Robert,  Jr.;  Bradford,  Wm.  L.;  Campbell,  Mar- 
shall C. ;  Carpenter,  Chas.  C. ;  Chaplain,  Jas.  C;  Dana,  Wm.  H.; 
Dozier,  Wm.  G.;  Izard,  Allen  C;  Kirkland,  W.  A.;  McCartney,  A. 
J.;  Meade,  Richard  W.,  Jr.;  Mitchell,  John  G.;  Peck,  Chas.  F.;  Pot- 
ter, Edward  E.;  Ramsay,  Francis  M.;  Walker,  J.  G. 

Year  1851. 

Barnes,  J.  S.;  Blodgett,  George  M.;  Buchanan,  Thomas  McK. 
Cain,  John,  Jr.;  Grossman,  A.  F.;  Dalton,  H.  H.;  Fitch,  Le  Roy 
Graham,  R.  W.  M.;  Hopkins  Alfred;  Law,  George  E.;  Lea,  Edward 


374  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Lull,  E.  P.;  Matthews,  E.  O.;  Miller,  Joseph  N.;  Norton,  Charles  S.; 
Perkins,  George  H.;  Porcher,  Philip;  Self  ridge,  T.  O.;  Sicard, 
Montgomery;  Stribbling,  J.  M.;  Todd,  J.  M. 

Year  1852. 

Allen,  Weld.  N.;  Bigelow,  George  A.;  Bradford,  R.  F.;  Bunce, 

F.  M.;  Cooke,  A.  P.;  Evans,  W.  E.;  Gove,  G.  D.;  Green,  N.;  Hat- 
field, C;  McDougall,  C.  J.;  Merchant,  Clark;  Miller,  S.  W.;  Mills, 
T.  B.;  Mosely,  J.  C;  Porter,  T.  K.;  Prichett,  J.  M.;  Seely,  H.  B.; 
Shyrock,  G.  S.;  Wallace,  R.  R. 

Year  1853. 

Alexander,  J.  W.;  Blake,  T.  B.;  Eastman,  T.  H.;  Graves,  C.  J.; 
Harris,  J.  W.;  Kelly,  J.  W.;  McNair,  F.  V.;  Pythian,  R.  L.;  Terry, 
Edward;  Todd,  H.  D.;  Wilson,  Byron;  Yates,  A,  R. 

Year  1854. 

Bishop,  Joshua;  Blue,  H.  M.;  Dewey,  George,  Farquhar,  N.  H.; 
Franklin,  C.  L.;  Furber,  E.  G.;  Grimball,  John;  Howell,  J.  A.; 
Howison,  H.  L.;  Judson,  C.  O.;  Kautz,  Albert;  Kerr,  W.  A.;  May, 
L.  C;  McCook,  R.  S. ;  Prentiss,  Roderick;  Reed,  A.  V.;  Schoon- 
maker,  CM.;  Spencer,  T.  S.;  Stores,  G.  S.;  Swazey,  C.  H.;  White, 

G.  B.;  Whittle,  W.  C,  Jr. 

Year  1855. 

Averitt,  S.  W.;  Borchert,  George;  Butt,  W.  R.;  Cenas,  Hillary; 
Clayburn,  H.  B.;  Greene,  S.  D.;  Hackett,  S.  H.;  Hall,  W.  B.;  Cane, 
T.  F.;  McKenzie,  A.  S.;  Read,  E.  G.;  Remey,  G.  C;  Taylor,  J.  L.; 
Walker,  E.  A.;  Wiltse,  G.  C. 

Year  1856, 

Ames,  S.  D.;  Barton,  W.  H.;  Brown,  F.  S.;  Casey,  Silas;  Daven- 
port, F.  O.;  Darnin,  T.  L.;  Gillet,  S.  P.;  Harrison,  T.  L. ;  Hoge,  F. 
L.;  Hoole,  J.  L.;  Mahan,  A.  T.;  Manley,  H.  D.;  Marvin,  J.  D.;  Mc- 
Carty,  S.  A.;  McNair,  A.  R. ;  O'Kane,  James;  Paddock,  S.  B. ; 
Philip,  J.  W.;  Read,  C.  W.;  Robeson,  H.  B;  Schley,  W.  S.;  Stuy- 
vesant,  M.  S. ;  Swann,  T.  L. ;  Watson,  J.  C;  Wharton,  A.  D. ; 
Whitehead,  William. 


GRADUATES  OF  THE  NAVAL  ACADEMY.  2)7 S 

Year  1857. 

Bache,  G.  W.;  Backus,  Sylvanus;  Bowen,  T.  C;  Cromwell, 
B.  J.;  Dexter,  A.;  Duer,  R.  K.;  Graham,  J.  D.;  Hayward,  G.  W.; 
Higginson,  F.  J.;  Kempff,  Lewis;  McFarland,  John;  McGlensey, 
J.  F.;  McKay,  C.  E.;  Mullen,  H.  E.;  Phoenix,  Lloyd;  Picking, 
H.  F.;  Robertson,  J.  P.;  Rodgers,  Frederick;  Rowland,  J.  H.; 
Ryan,  G.  P.;  Sampson,  W.  T.;  Snell,  A.  T.;  Steece,  T.;  Stewart, 
W.  F.;  Tallman,  H.  C.;  Thomas,  N.  W.;  Tyson,  H.  B.;  Weidman,  J. 

Year  1858. 

Blake,  E.  C.  V.;  Blake,  H.  J.;  Bradley,  J.  B.;  Brower,  E.  T.; 
Caruthers,  J.  K.;  Cotton,  C.  S.;  Day,  B.  F.;  Forest,  M.;  Hunting- 
ton, C.  L.;  Kellog,  E.  N.;  Lambson,  R.  H.;  Mitchell,  A,  N.;  Nich- 
olls,  S.  W.;  Preston,  S.  W.;  Read,  J.  J.;  Smith,  F.  R. ;  Sumner, 
G.  W.;  Terry,  S.  W.;  Wimple,  D.  D.;   Zimmerman,  C.  W. 

Year  1859. 

Abbott,  Walter;  Adams,  L.  P.;  Alexander,  A.  C,  Jr.;  Ander- 
son, John;  Bartlett,  J  R.;  Batcheller,  O.  A.;  Blake,  C.  F.;  Bridg- 
man,  W.  R.;  Brown,  G.  M.;  Burker,  A.  S.;  Chester,  C.  M.;  Chew, 
R.  S.;  Dana,  W.  S.;  French,  H.  T.;  Haskin,  B.  F.;  Haswell,  G.  K.; 
Hazeltine,  E.  C;  Hunt,  S.  H.;  Johnson,  H.  L. ;  Johnson,  M.  L,; 
Jones,  C.  D.;  Lowry,  P.  W.;  Ludlow,  N.;  McClure,  G.  M.;  McCor- 
mick,  A.  H.;  Miller,  M.;  Naile,  F.  L;  Pearson,  F.;  Porter,  B.  H.; 
Preble,  E.  E.;  Meed,  J.  H.;  Ramsay,  H.  B.;  Sanders,  M.  W.;  Sands, 
J.  H.;  Shepard,  E.  M.;  Sigsbee.  C.  D.;  Tracey,  C.  W.;  Van  Vleck, 
W.  A.;  Wallace,  J.;  Wheeler,  W.  K.;  Wood,  G.  W.;  Woodward,  E.  T. 

Year  i860. 

Barclay,  C.  J.;  Brown,  A.  D.;  Cassell,  D.  R.;  Clark,  C.  E.; 
Clark,  J.  D.;  Coffin,  G.  W.;  Coghlan,  J.  B. ;  Cook,  F.  A.;  Cooper, 
P.  H.;  Craven,  C.  H.;  Crowninshield,  A.  S. ;  Davis,  G.  T. ;  Dick- 
man,  E.  J.;  Dunn,  W.;  Evans,  R.  D.;  Glass,  H.;  Harris,  L;  Hend- 
rickson,  W.  W.;  Hoff,  W.  B.;  Irvin,  R.  C;  Kellog,  A.  G.;  Leary, 
R.  P.;  McClay,  W.  W.;  McCormick,  F.;  McGregor,  C;  Morris,  F.; 
Morris,  L  T. ;  Mullen,  D.  W.;  Niles,  M.;  Pegram,  J.  C. ;  Pendleton, 
C.A.;  Ragsdale,-J.  K.  P.;  Sterling,  Yates;  Taylor,  H.  C;  Wad- 
leigh,  G.  H. ;  Whiting,  William  H. ;  Wiles,  F. ;  Wise,  W.  C. ;  White, 
A.  H. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

:ONSIDERATIONS    PERTAINING     TO    GOVERNMENT MONARCH- 
IES  AND  DEMOCRACIES  OF  THE   PAST CLASS-DISTINCTION 

ASIATIC    CIVILIZATION BLUE-BLOOD     AND     RED-BLOOD 

THE    ARISTOCRACIES    OF    THE    GREEKS,    ROMANS,    SPAN- 
IARDS   AND    ITALIANS THE    FANTASTIC   CASTE    OF    INDIA 

SLAVERY  THE  LEGITIMATE    OFFSPRING  OF  ARISTOCRACY 

ANCIENT    REPUBLICS    DESTROYED    BY   CASTE   AND    SLAV- 
ERY  THE    PATRICIANS    AND    PLEBEIANS    OF    ROME THE 

REPUBLICS    OF    ITALY    BUILT    UPON    TITLES    OF    NOBILITY. 

BY  reason  of  habit  and  general  constitution  man 
cannot  live  alone ;  while,  as  a  consequence  of  his 
mental  and  moral  characteristics,  it  is  very  difficult  for 
him  to  live  with  his  fellow  man.  This  statement  of  fact 
is  no  less  embarrassing  than  true.  The  hermitical  mode 
of  life  has  been  som.ewhat  extensively  tried  during  the 
history  of  the  human  kind,  and  especially  by  religious 
enthusiasts.  But  it  has  never  been  productive  of  any 
very  satisfactory  results  in  individual  cases;  while,  as  a 
measure  applicable  to  the  whole  human  race,  it  must  be 
considered  altogether  impracticable,  if  not  impossible. 

The  necessity  of  living  in  companionship  has  given 
rise  to  a  problem  that  has  baffled  the  wisdom  of  all  the 
ages.  How  to  live  together  in  obedience  to  the  better 
instincts    of    humanity   and    to    repress    the    selfishness, 

avarice,    ambition,    injustice    of    the    fallen     nature,  has 

376 


THE   VARIOUS  FORMS  OF  GOVERNMENT.  377 

remained  an  open  question  down  to  our  own  time.  A 
general  answer  has  been  easily  found  in  the  single  word 
government,  but  unfortunately  this  word  is  susceptible  of 
as  many  interpretations  as  were  the  equivocal  utterances 
of  the  Grecian  oracles.  Not  that  there  are  so  many  plans 
of  government  from  which  to  choose.  Political  scientists, 
excluding  the  primitive  forms,  as  the  patriarchal  and  the 
tribal,  as  well  as  the  more  modern  ecclesiastical,  have 
reduced  all  forms  of  government  to  three  elementary 
types  :  the  monarchy,  the  aristocracy,  and  the  democracy. 
The  ancients  resolved  all  possible  forms  of  matter  into 
the  four  elements :  fire,  earth,  air,  and  water.  Out  of 
these  four  units  was  supposed  to  be  constructed  every- 
thing which  we  see,  feel,  and  hear  in  the  material  world 
upon  which  we  live,  and  in  the  enormous  space,  with  its 
solar,  planetary,  and  stellar  bodies,  which  surrounds  us. 
The  modern  scientist,  with  an  accuracy  that  can  admit  of 
no  doubt,  has  more  intelligently  determined  the  elements 
of  which  the  universe  is  composed;  and,  although  they  are 
more  numerous  than  the  four  simple  elements  of  the 
ancients,  they  are,  nevertheless,  very  few.  But,  while  the 
myriad  forms  of  matter  which  surround  us  are  resolvable 
into  a  very  few  elementary  bodies,  there  is  no  such  range 
of  governmental  construction,  so  to  speak,  belonging  to 
the  elementary  molecules  from  which  the  science  of  gov- 
ernment has  been  evolved.  Chemistry  shows  us  that 
two  elementary  bodies  may  unite  and  harmoniously 
form  a  third,  wholly  differing  from  either  of  the  constitu- 
ents.    But  the  metamorphoses  of  the  governmental  units 


378  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

are  exceedingly  limited  in  character,  very  fragile,  and,  as 
the  chemists  might  say,  very  unstable.  The  monarchical 
and  the  aristocratic  elements  are  susceptible  of  a  certain 
kind  of  union ;  but  the  true  democratic  type  is  wholly  un- 
combinable  with  either  of  the  others  —  that  is  to  say, 
within  the  sense  of  the  general  usage  of  the  terms. 

Hence  the  problem  presented  has  not  related  to  mul- 
tiplicity of  forms  or  plans  of  government,  but  has  always 
covered  the  simple  question.  Which  one  of  the  possible 
forms  shall  come  out  of  a  given  conflict  between  men? 
Down  to  the  time  of  the  Greek  Republics  the  governments 
of  the  world  had  been  founded  upon  the  rule  of  the  many 
by  the  few.  For  at  least  three  thousand  years  before  the 
Dorian  migration  into  Greece  there  was  no  exception  to 
that  order  of  things ;  and  no  men  arose  in  all  that  time 
with  sufficient  power  to  call  in  question  the  divine  rights 
of  kings  and  of  aristocratic  rulers.  Upon  the  basis  of 
conflict  between  the  few  and  the  many  the  whole  battle 
has  been  fought,  and  is  still  being  fought  in  our  own  time. 
It  is  a  simple  question  of  individual  ambition  against  the 
prerogatives,  rights,  and  interests  of  mankind  in  general. 
When  that  eminent  usurper,  Julius  Ceesar,  was  offered  a 
crown  upon  the  Luper^al  by  a  fellow  patriot  and  com- 
panion-in-arms, of  whom  it  may  be  said  —  if  history  is  to 
be  credited  and  the  pleasantry  may  be  excused  —  that  he 
had  not  a  crown  to  his  name,  the  donee  declined  the 
proffer  in  a  spirit  of  effusive  self-sacrifice ;  and  much  the 
same  thing  happened  at  a  later  day  in  England.  Csesar 
rejected  a  crown,  but  made  himself  an  emperor  in  every- 


THE  NATURE  OF  THE  SOLDIER.  2)79 

thing  save  the  name ;  while  the  Enghsh  tyrant  Gloster, 
with  a  protestive  denial  of  ambition  upon  his  lips,  literally 
cleaved  his  way  to  a  throne. 

Until  the  establishment  of  the  American  Republic 
individual  ambition  had  generally,  if  not  always,  succeeded 
in  overcoming  the  rights  of  the  masses ;  but  the  course  of 
kingly  destiny  has  run  in  rough  places,  nevertheless.  If 
the  people  have  had  their  questions,  so  have  the  monarchs, 
and  if  the  masses  have  been  compelled  to  fight  for  their 
rights,  the  rulers  have  been  forced  to  battle  for  their 
places. 

The  vital  question  that  has  afflicted  all  monarchs  is 
that  relating  to  the  use  of  other  men  in  the  preservation 
of  the  individual  privileges  of  the  former.  Nature  has 
made  us  all  so  nearly  equal  in  the  purely  physical  sense 
that  a  single  man,  or  a  limited  coterie  of  men,  can  only 
usurp  dominion  at  the  expense  of  the  greater  number 
through  virtue  of  superior  force.  How  to  use  that  force 
and  at  the  same  time  to  control  it,  has  been  the  single 
problem  of  monarchy  and  all  forms  of  centralized  govern- 
ment. If  a  man  fight  as  a  business  from  which  he  re- 
ceives pay  and  a  livelihood,  he  will  look  upon  his  profes- 
sion from  a  business  standpoint,  and  will  sell  his  services 
in  the  best  market.  If  the  factor  of  mere  pay  be  elimin- 
ated from  the  question,  the  man  must  fight  in  behalf  of 
principle  and  self-interest,  in  which  case  he  ceases  at  once 
to  be  the  stolid  machine  which  kingly  interest  requires. 
The  principle  involved  in  this  proposition  was  well  illus- 
trated in  the  case  of  the  Southern  slaves  at  the  breaking- 


o 


So  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


out  of  the  Civil  War.  When  it  became  expedient  to  put 
arms  into  their  hands  in  order  that  they  might  fight  for 
the  Union,  the  necessity  of  investing  them  soon  or  late 
with  the  privilege  of  the  ballot  became  apparent  at  once. 
The  American  soldier  does  not  fight  for  pay.  He  fights 
for  a  government  in  which  he  has  a  personal  interest  and 
of  which  he  is  an  integral  element. 

The  monarchical  government,  then,  is  certainly  men- 
aced, not  alone  by  other  governments  seeking  its  down- 
fall, but  also  by  the  dangerous  instruments  of  its  own 
power,  which,  seeking  self-interest  in  the  most  promising 
direction,  may  find  it  convenient  at  any  moment  to  turn 
upon  their  own  masters. 

Democracies,  too,  have  their  perils.  Where  are  the 
Republics  of  Greece,  that  for  five  hundred  years  pretended 
to  assert  the  rule  of  the  masses  ?  Where  the  Republic  of 
Rome,  that  for  another  five  hundred  years  was  professedly 
based  upon  the  legend.  Vox  populi,  vox  Dei?  Where  the 
Dutch  and  Italian  Republics,  that  made  spasmodic  efforts  in 
behalf  of  popular  rule  ?  Fallen  !  all  fallen  into  a  common 
grave  with  the  empires  of  Cyrus  and  Alexander,  of  Char- 
lemagne and  Napoleon. 

The  Republics  of  Greece,  in  the  days  of  their  early 
purity,  possessed  elements  that,  if  preserved,  and  combined 
with  others  that  would  have  come  to  them  through  lapse 
of  time  and  experience,  such  as  federation  of  all  the  states 
into  a  single  governmental  unit,  and  the  cultivation  of  a 
high  type  of  morality,  should  have  made  them  as  imperish- 
able as  the  pyramids.     The  personal  training  of  the  Greek 


THE  SOLDIERS  OF  GREECE.  38 1 

citizens,  and  especially  those  of  Sparta,  developed  a  power- 
ful physique  with  traits  of  high  courage,  extreme  endur- 
ance, and  —  for  that  era  — great  love  of  country.  Every 
citizen  of  the  republ-ic  was  a  soldier,  and  every  soldier  was 
a  citizen.  Reared  under  the  law  that  death  must  be 
accepted  in  preference  to  defeat,  cowardice  was  wholly 
unknown  to  him  ;  and  Homer's  representation  of  the  will- 
ingness of  Achilles  to  give  up  his  own  life  after  having 
revenged  the  slaying  of  Patroclus  by  the  killing  of  Hector, 
undoubtedly  paints  a  national  trait  of  early  Greek  charac- 
ter, conveyed  though  it  be  through  the  art  of  fiction  and 
inspiring  verse. 

But,  unfortunately  for  the  progress  of  the  world,  the 
germs  of  Greek  destruction  were  evolved  out  of  the 
conquest  of  Greece  from  the  native  tribes.  From  that 
conquest  slavery  emerged  to  curse,  and  ultimately  to 
assist  in  the  downfall  of  the  republics  that  had  shed  such 
brilliant  light  upon  the  ancient  world.  At  the  battle  of 
Marathon,  the  glory  of  which  has  been  sung  by  poets  and 
perpetuated  by  writers  and  orators  alike,  where  10,000 
Greeks  defeated  and  put  to  rout  an  army  of  110,000 
Persians,  a  part  of  those  engaged  upon  the  Greek  side 
were  slaves,  though  not  considered  soldiers,  many  of 
whom  fell  upon  the  field  of  battle. 

With  the  conquest  of  other  states,  the  number  of 
slaves  increased  in  the  Greek  Republics.  Luxury  and  the 
accumulation  of  wealth  gradually  caused  a  relaxation  of 
the  abstemious,  frugal,  active  life  which  gave  to  the 
ancient    Greek   his   splendid   physical   development,   and 


382  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

made  him  the  equal  upon  the  battle-field  of  half  a  dozen 
of  the  spiritless,  hopeless  soldiers  of  the  Eastern  despot- 
isms. With  the  progress  of  the  Greeks  in  the  acquisition 
of  power,  the  increase  of  wealth,  the  cultivation  of  learn- 
ing, the  refinements  of  an  indolent  life,  the  growth  of 
aristocratic  and  class  distinctions,  the  weakening  influence 
of  inter-state  conflicts,  resulting  from  narrow  policy  and  cor- 
rupting ambition,  the  people  lost  by  degrees  the  strong  Hel- 
lenic personality,  until,  when  the  world  stood  within  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  of  the  birth  of  Christ,  Greece  was  ready  to 
become  a  province  of  that  mighty  power  which  had  arisen 
in  the  west,  into  whose  strong  keeping  the  supremacy 
of  the  world  was  soon  to  pass.  The  historic  land  became 
the  Roman  province  Achia,  and,  though  it  still  was  Greece, 

"  'T  was  living  Greece  no  more." 

Standing  face  to  face  with  their  mournful  humiliation, 
well  might  the  degenerate  Hellenes  have  exclaimed,  '*  Oh  ! 
for  the  iron  money  of  Lycurgus  !  oh,  for  a  return  to  the 
severe  simplicity  of  the  fathers." 

Among  the  pure  weaknesses  of  human  nature,  there  is 
one  that  has  had  much  to  do  with  shaping  the  desti- 
nies of  governments  and  of  peoples  all  along  the  rugged 
pathway  of  human  struggles.  The  remarkable  trait  of 
character  which  prompts  the  majority  of  men  and  women 
to  make  the  effort  to  be  thought  better,  to  appear  wiser 
than  and  superior  to  others  in  all  respects,  is  here  referred 
to.  No  disquisition  upon  morals  is  meditated,  but  the 
fact  is  simply  stated  because  of  its  bearing  upon  the  sub- 


THE  SUBJECT  OF  CLASS  DISTINCTION.  383 

ject  under  immediate  treatment.  This  simple  desire  to 
appear  in  the  Hght  of  a  superior  possesses  all  degrees  of 
intensity,  and  is  underlaid  by  the  differing  motives  of  per- 
sonal vanity,  love  of  power  and  dominion,  and  the  yearn- 
ing for  money,  luxury,  and  ease.  Pure  intellectual 
aspiration  rests  upon  an  entirely  different  plane,  and 
breathes  a  wholly  different  atmosphere.  It  is  the  noblest 
of  all  ambitions,  but  unfortunately  it  is  not  the  most  com- 
mon. 

The  superiority  above  alluded  to,  and  aimed  at  in 
every  age,  is  made  to  be  constituted  of  two  elements  —  a 
transmitted  and  an  acquired  quality  or  virtue  —  and  the 
distinctions  which  are  now  to  be  considered  are  all  founded 
upon  one  of  these  two  constituent  elements.  Since  the 
beginning  of  man,  so  far  as  we  have  any  knowledge  of  his 
history,  individuals  have  arrogated  preferment  over  their 
fellows,  and  the  practical  result  of  this  has  been  the  crea- 
tion of  class-distinctions,  with  all  their  momentous  conse- 
quences. It  is  worth  while,  then,  to  consider  the  topic,  in 
view  of  its  intimate  relationship  with  the  subject  of  gov- 
ernment. It  is  a  curious  sentiment,  and  has  had  more  to 
do  with  the  fate  of  nations  than  armies  and  implements  of 
war. 

Monarchies  and  aristocracies  only  represent  class- 
distinction  in  different  degrees,  founded  upon  extrinsic 
circumstances.  Democracies  in  the  pure  sense  can  only 
exist  in  the  absence  of  every  distinction  save  that  based 
upon  intrinsic  worth  and  merit. 

Down  to  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  Greek 


384  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Republics  all  governments  of  which  we  have  any  knowl- 
edge were  founded  on,  or  were  indissolubly  interwoven 
with,  the  idea  of  class-distinction.  In  the  early  Asiatic 
civilizations  kings  and  rulers  were  clothed  with  almost 
divine  attributes,  while  the  ordinary  people  ran  through 
classes  until  a  status  was  reached  so  low  as  to  render 
mere  contact  with  it  polluting  to  the  superior  being.  It 
is  interesting  to  note  the  different  qualities  which  have 
conferred  the  personal  or  class  preeminence  now  being 
considered  in  different  ages  and  among  different  peoples. 
The  first  of  all  these  qualities,  that  which  bore  the  stamp 
of  the  king  metal,  gold,  upon  it,  was  bloody  and  this 
ennobling  fluid  gave  a  greater  or  less  degree  of  pre- 
eminence, according  as  it  was  blue  or  red  in  color.  In 
ancient  Spain  —  that  enchanting  land  of  chivalry  and 
rapturous  sentiment  —  the  favoring  quality  had  no  rela- 
tion to  the  church,  to  commerce,  nor  to  the  learned 
professions,  but  descended  directly  from  fearless  warriors 
and  mighty  conquerors  into  the  veins  of  grandees, 
hidalgos,  and  high-born  sefioritas.  The  hidalgo  had  red 
blood,  and  therefore  was  less  noble  than  the  grandee, 
whose  vital  fluid  was  of  the  purest  blue.  The  former 
alone  was  privileged  to  be  called  Don  —  a  title  equivalent 
to  Sir,  as  used  in  the  English  peerage. 

But  noble  blood  was  not  the  exclusive  gift  of  warriors 
and  conquerors  among  all  nations.  In  India  it  descended 
from  Brahma,  the  creator,  by  whom  caste  or  class-dis- 
tinctions were  established.  In  the  despotisms  of  Asia  it 
came    from    a   long   line    of    rulers.      When    aristocracy 


THE  LAWS  OF  CASTE  IN  INDIA.  385 

began  to  rear  itself  as  one  of  the  most  important  agencies 
destined  to  overthrow  the  Greek  Repubhcs,  the  privileged 
class  claimed  their  attributes  as  an  inheritance  from  gfods, 
demi-gods,  and  celestial  heroes.  Others  had  a  nobility 
of  old  citizens,  and  Sparta  one  of  pure  conquest ;  while 
both,  of  these,  as  well  as  others  of  the  Greek  states,  more 
notably  Thebes,  had  an  aristocracy  of  wealth.  The 
earlier  Romans  founded  their  claims  upon  primitive  owner- 
ship of  the  soil,  but  at  a  later  period  a  pure  aristocracy 
of  wealth  was  created.  In  some  of  the  Italian  Republics 
the  aristocracy  was  founded  upon  wealth  obtained 
through  commerce.  In  other  nations,  as  in  England  at 
present,  the  sovereign  could  ennoble. 

The  subject  is  interesting,  and  the  time  spent  in  con- 
sidering it  more  in  detail  will  not  be  thrown  away. 

One  of  the  most  fantastic  inventions  ever  devised, 
involving  the  idea  of  class-distinction,  has  existed  from 
time  immemorial  in  certain  parts  of  India,  and  notably 
in  Hindostan.  It  was  called  caste  by  the  Portuguese  trad- 
ers who  first  noticed  it  in  their  voyages,  and  this  word  has 
been  adopted  pretty  generally  by  other  nations  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  idea  of  class-distinction.  The  laws  of 
caste  among  the  Hindoos  were  voluminous  and  minute. 
Under  these  laws  society  was  divided  into  several  classes, 
at  the  head  of  which  stood  the  brahmin  or  priest,  fol- 
lowed by  the  warriors  and  rulers,  the  agriculturists  and 
traders,  the  laborers  and  servants,  and  lastly  the  pariahs, 
or  lowest  of  society,  who  were  so  utterly  vile  and  degrad- 
ing that   their  mere  shadow   falling  upon   a  better  man 


o 


86  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


would  pollute  him.  The  priest  or  brahmin  who  would 
eat  with  or  even  touch  certain  kinds  of  food  consumed 
by  an  inferior  caste  would  be  excluded  from  the  society 
of  other  brahmins  as  a  polluted  man,  and  the  same 
penalty  would  attach  to  the  brahmin  who  would  allow 
the  presence  of  an  inferior  within  a  certain  distance  while 
eating.  So  rigid  was  the  distinction  of  class  under  the 
Hindoo  code  that  an  inferior  was  at  times  struck  dead  for 
having  accidentally  touched  a  superior.  This  grotesque 
system  still  exists. 

The  foregoing  example  of  human  weakness,  arrogance, 
and  love  of  power  is  here  referred  to  as  an  illustration  of 
the  tyranny  of  class-distinction  in  connection  with  the 
religious  sentiment.  The  history  of  paganism  through 
the  early  ages  furnishes  additional  examples,  though 
differing  in  degree  of  priestly  preeminence  and  domina- 
tion. 

As  a  constituent  of  monarchical  rule  through  every 
period  of  the  world's  history  down  to  our  own  times,  the 
reader  is  familiar  with  every  phase  of  class-distinction, 
from  the  sacredness  of  the  king,  who  can  do  no  wrong, 
through  the  revolting  array  of  nobles  and  aristocrats, 
whose  assumptions  of  superiority,  built  upon  wealth  or 
the  accident  of  birth,  are  an  offense  to  him  whose  nature 
and  cultivation  have  made  a  man  of  the  truest  type  and 
character.  With  a  consideration  of  this  sort  of  royal 
machinery  the  true  American  does  not  care  to  occupy 
himself,  except  upon  the  principle  by  which  we  hope  to 
illuminate  the  future  through  means  of  the  dying  embers 


THE   GREEK  COMMONWEALTHS.  387 

of  the  past.  The  republican  is  more  deeply  interested 
in  searching  for  the  rocks  upon  which  former  efforts  at 
popular  government  have  been  stranded.  Among  the 
destructive  agents  of  past  attempts  at  free  government 
authentic  history  shows  the  evil  now  being  considered 
—  that  of  class-distinction — ^to  be  the  most  potent  and 
irresistible. 

From  the  absolute  lordship  of  the  oriental  nations  to 
the  ideas  of  equality  upon  which  the  Greek  Republics 
were  founded  there  was  a  very  long  step,  extending  in  a 
direction  leading  to  the  interest  of  the  common  people. 
It  has  been  remarked  by  an  able  writer  that  with  the 
birth  of  the  Greek  commonwealths  "the  political  and  in- 
tellectual life  of  the  world  began."  The  truth  of  this 
remark  is  indisputable,  and  there  seems  no  historical  sub- 
ject of  such  vast  interest  and  importance  to  the  political 
economist  and  philosopher  of  the  present  era  as  the  nar- 
rative covering  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  Greek  states, 
which  extends  through  a  period  of  over  nine  hundred 
years.  For  a  time  they  furnished  a  faint  illustration  of 
democracy,  and  they  might  have  afforded  to  the  philoso- 
phers of  the  time  a  mental  vision,  through  the  intervening 
space  of  twenty-five  hundred  years,  of  the  creation  of  an 
enormous  republic  and  a  powerful  nation,  denominated 
by  one  of  the  greatest  of  its  sons  "a  government  of  the 
people,  for  the  people,  and  by  the  people." 

Perfection  in  all  things  human  must  be  the  result  of 
growth.  There  is  nothing  with  which  man  has  to  do 
that  has  not  grown  from  the  crude  conception,  and  there 


388  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

are  not  many  things  which  have  already  passed  the  stage 
of  possible  future  growth.  The  establishment  of  the 
Greek  commonwealths  was  evolved  out  of  the  lone 
struggle  of  the  masses  with  their  rulers,  and  practically  it 
constituted  the  end  of  the  divinely-appointed  sovereigns 
of  the  Eastern  nations,  and  foreshadowed  the  coming 
recognition  of  the  grand  principle  teaching  the  brother- 
hood of  man.  The  results  to  mankind  flowing  from  the 
life  of  those  states  were  wonderful  indeed,  but  it  was  not 
in  the  nature  of  things  that  perfection  should  be  reached 
within  the  fleeting  span  of  one  thousand  years.  The 
agent  of  certain  destruction  went  hand-in-hand  with  the 
spirit  of  progress.  A  sentiment  arose  for  the  rule  of  the 
people,  but  the  word  people  embraced  a  most  illiberal, 
vicious,  and  destructive  distinction  which,  after  the  lapse 
of  twenty-five  centuries,  nearly  wrecked  the  life  of  the 
greatest  Republic  ever  existing. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  with  certainty  when, 
and  under  what  circumstances,  man  first  became  a  slave 
to  his  fellow-man.  But  the  institution  of  slavery  ante- 
dates all  authentic  history,  and  its  beginning  probably 
runs  back  to  the  earliest  intercourse  between  man  and 
man.  It  may  be  asserted  that  class-distinction  is  the 
chief  warrant  for  slavery,  when  not  taking  into  consider- 
ation the  practice  among  barbarous  and  semi-civilized 
nations  in  every  age  of  making  slaves  of  their  captives  in 
war.  Slavery  was  Common  to  almost  all  nations  when 
the  Greek  Republics  began  their  wonderful  career;  and 
the  Hellenes,  aspiring  to  lead  the  way  toward  the  rule  of 


VARIOUS  FORMS  OF  SLA  VER  V.  389 

the  people,  acquiesced  in  the  .theory  of  human  slavery 
and  adopted  it  in  practice.  The  practice  was  bad  in 
principle,  but  it  was  the  theory  that  chiefly  opened  the 
chasm  into  which  Grecian  democracy  was  finally  precipi- 
tated. 

Perhaps  with  the  increase  of  wealth  and  the  indul- 
gence of  luxury,  which  the  possession  of  wealth  so  press- 
ingly  invites,  much  the  same  growth  of  caste  would  have 
occurred  among  the  Greeks  without  the  actual  existence 
of  slavery.  As  every  thoughtful  person  must  admit,  how- 
ever, the  system  of  a  compulsory  personal  service  is  as 
blighting  to  the  faculties  of  the  mind  as  it  is  to  the  ener- 
gies of  the  body;  and  this  observation  holds  good  of 
every  form  of  slavery,  whether  that  practiced  by  the 
Greeks,  or  the  incomparably  baser  system  practiced  within 
our  own  enlightened  age.  Though  the  end  might  have 
been  the  same,  it  is  most  evident  that  a  true  republic 
recognizing  the  principles  of  slavery  was  as  much  of  a 
paradox  one  thousand  years  before  Christ  as  it  was 
eighteen  hundred  years  after  his  death.  It  was  therefore 
as  certain  that  the  Greek  attempt  at  democracy  should 
fail  in  the  absence  of  a  broad  recognition  of  the  rights  of 
man,  as  it  was  inevitable  that  the  American  Republic 
could  only  continue  to  exist  through  the  abolition  of  an 
accursed  form  of  slavery  which  had  been  fastened  upon 
it  at  the  birth  as  the  last  boon  of  expiring  despotism 
and  wickedness. 

As  the  Grecian  states  grew  in  power,  in  territorial 
acquisition,    in    public    and   private    wealth,     in    luxury, 


390  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

refinement,  and  intellectual  life,  the  leaven  of  class- 
distinction,  always  present,  became  more  and  more 
active.  In  Athens  there  existed  a  nobility  of  old 
citizens,  which  gradually  gave  way  to  a  pure  aristoc- 
racy of  wealth.  The  struggles  for  supremacy  of  this 
aristocracy  with  those  of  the  other  republics  form  one  of 
the  most  striking  portions  of  Greek  history.  Every 
student  is  familiar  with  the  long  series  of  domestic  wars, 
growing  out  of  the  debasement  of  the  Hellenic  character, 
that  ultimately  resulted  in  the  subjugation  of  the  Greek 
states  by  mighty  Rome,  which  latter,  for  some  five  hun- 
dred years,  also  enacted  the  role  of  a  republic,  under  the 
interpretation  of  that  day. 

The  Romans  began  the  experiment  of  democratic 
government  upon  a  foundation  as  inadequate  to  the  main- 
tenance of  a  lasting  structure  as  that  laid  by  their  Greek 
predecessors.  The  right  of  property  in  man  was  a  recog- 
nized principle  of  the  democracy  of  the  Romans.  This 
fact  alone  proves  conclusively  that  the  people  had  no 
broader  idea  of  a  pure  democracy  than  had  the  signers  of 
1776  when  declaring  "that  all  men  are  created  equal,  and 
endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable  rights, 
and  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness,"  in  face  of  the  contradictory  circumstance 
that  human  slavery  was  a  recognized  institution  in  the 
free  government  they  were  about  to  create. 

The  privileged  class  of  Rome  —  the  patres,  or  patri- 
cians—  came  into  existence  at  a  very  early  period  in  the 
history  of  the  republic.     They  were    so    privileged   that 


THE  PA  TRICIANS  AND  PLEBEIANS  OF  ROME.  39  I 

they  managed  to  hold  all  the  offices,  to  control  the  relig- 
ion of  the  State,  and  to  obtain  exclusive  enjoyment  of  the 
common  lands  of  the  nation.  The  populus,  or  common 
people,  had  no  right  except  that  to  labor  for  a  bare  sup- 
port. The  patricians,  claiming  descent  from  the  founders, 
perverted  the  original  land  concessions  into  an  absolute 
right,  termed  y^^i"  quiritium  by  the  Latin  law. 

With  the  lapse  of  time  the  distinction  in  society 
became  sharply  drawn,  under  the  X^xvas,  patrician  2ir\d  ple- 
beian. The  latter  class,  however,  increasing  in  number 
faster  than  the  former,  began  to  wring  concessions  in  their 
own  favor  by  agitation,  and  even  by  violence.  First,  mar- 
riage among  them  was  legalized ;  then  followed  the  right 
to  hold  petty  offices,  then  to  enjoy  more  important  ones. 
The  right  to  enter  the  military  was  won,'  then  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  privileges  of  civil  jurisdiction,  and  still  later  a 
right  to  participate  in  religious  rites  and  ceremonies. 
Agitation  between  the  classes  continued,  the  Agrarian 
and  Licinian  laws  became  the  excuse  for  frequent  con- 
flicts, and  finally,  after  the  lapse  of  nearly  five  hundred 
years  from  the  founding  of  the  city,  the  strife  between  the 
patricians  and  plebeians  terminated  with  the  abolition  of 
all  distinction  between  them. 

Then  was  the  time  for  the  establishment  of  a  pure 
republic,  but  the  vision  was  overshadowed  by  the  growing 
lines  of  the  coming  empire.  A  curious  and  instructive 
anomaly  presented  itself.  The  plebeian  class,  who  for 
more  than  four  centuries  and  a  half  had  been  battlino- 
against  the  aristocrats  for  the  extension  of  common  rights 


392  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

to  all  men,  at  last,  having  obtained  those  rights  for  them- 
selves and  having  grown  rich  in  the  course  of  industrial 
pursuits,  became  part  composers  of  the  nobility  under  the 
empire.  The  descendants  of  former  plebeians  were  trans- 
formed into  violent  partisans  of  class-distinction.  Boasting 
of  their  ancestors,  they  claimed  the  jus  imaginuni,  or  right 
of  having  the  images  of  those  ancestors,  which  constituted 
a  prerogative  similar  to  the  possession  of  a  coat-of-arms  at  a 
later  period.  As  the  empire  grew  in  years,  letters  patent  of 
nobility  were  granted,  conveying  the  right  to  a  shield 
blazoned  with  a  coat-of-arms.  The  division  of  classes 
became  quite  simple.  There  were  but  the  noble  and  the 
ignoble,  the  rich  and  the  poor.  It  is  very  evident  that  at 
that  period  of  the  Roman  Republic  the  popular  mind  was 
not  sufficiently  enlarged  to  comprehend  the  true  nature 
of  a  democratic  government. 

The  later  republics  of  Italy  present  this  vicious  tend- 
ency to  class-arrogance  in  a  light  still  stronger  than  that 
by  which  we  view  the  course  of  the  preceding  attempts  to 
estab^sh  republican  governments.  The  Venetian  com- 
monwealths were  the  most  arbitrary  of  aristocracies,  with 
the  common  people  excluded.  The  aristocracy  grew  upon 
wealth  accumulated  purely  through  the  operations  of 
trade,  and  a  subsequent  nobility  was  erected  entirely  com- 
posed of  those  descended  from  the  early  officeholders.  In 
Florence  the  nobility  was  abolished,  but  another  was  sub- 
sequently established  composed  of  former  commoners. 
No  more  oligarchical  rule  can  be  found  in  history  than 
that  of  Florentine  democracy.     Under  the  theory  that  an 


FAILURE   OF  ANCIENT  REPUBLICS.  393 

aristocracy  is  composed  of  the  wisest,  best,  and  most 
cultured  as  well  as  the  most  wealthy  persons  of  the  state, 
the  unfortunate  commoner  stood  a  worse  chance  than  his 
predecessor,  the  plebeian  of  Rome,  or  his  contemporary, 
the  roturier  of  France. 

In  summarizing  the  results  of  all  past  attempts  at  the 
establishment  of  republican  governments,  it  may  justly  be 
said  that  in  not  one  instance  does  it  appear  that  the  very 
essence  of  democracy  was  understood  or  sought  to  be 
reached  by  the  projectors  and  subsequent  administrators  of 
the  various  governments ;  that  is  to  say,  that  they  were 
totally  ignorant  of  the  extent  to  which  their  professions 
should  carry  them,  and  that  they  had  not  even  approached 
the  vital  principle  of  the  true  republic  —  the  absolute 
political  and  civil  equality  of  men,  and  the  non-existence 
of  any  class-distinctions  save  those  legitimately  pertaining 
to  mental  and  moral  worth  and  preeminence. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  LESSON  OF  CLASS-DISTINCTION FORMER  CONSTITUTION 

OF    SOCIETY    IN    THE    SLAVE    STATES THE    PARIAHS    OF 

THE     SOUTH,     AND      THE     "POOR     WHITE     TRASH  " THE 

REBELLION    A    LOGICAL   AND   INEVITABLE  CONCLUSION    OF 
THE    ESTABLISHMENT    OF    AN    ARISTOCRACY    BASED    UPON 

SLAVERY ARISTOCRATIC    TENDENCIES    OF    OUR    PRESENT 

MILITARY     SYSTEM OPPORTUNITIES     OF     C^SARISM     OF- 
FERED   BY    THE    WAR THE    WEST    POINT   ACADEMY    NOT 

TO    BE   CREDITED    WITH    UNSELFISH    PATRIOTISM  OR  RARE 
MILITARY    ABILITIES GRANT    AND    LEE. 

THERE  will  probably  be  none  among  the  author's 
readers  to  dispute  the  justice  of  the  remarks  con- 
tained in  the  latter  part  of  the  preceding  chapter,  founded 
as  they  are  upon  the  well-established  truth  of  historical 
relation.  There  may  be  a  few,  however,  who,  while  pursu- 
ing them,  may  wonder  what  relevancy  the  matter  of 
caste  or  class-distinction  can  have  to  the  subject  of  the 
present  volume. 

The  facts  set  forth  have  been  so  grouped  as  to  illus- 
trate under  strong  light  a  lesson  which  it  would  be  well  for 
our  people  to  heed  and  to  study  most  carefully.  Theo- 
retically a  republican  form  of  government  signifies  abso- 
lute equality,  political  and  civil,  of  every  one  of  its  law- 
abiding  citizens.     The  history  of  the  republics  of  the  past 

394 


CERTAIN  ELEMENTS  OF    THE  REBELLION.  395 

vouches  for  the  correctness  of  the  theory  in  its  practical 
appHcation,  and  forcibly  emphasizes  the  fact  that,  as  soon 
as  the  actual  practice  is  made  to  conflict  with  tlie  theory, 
the  government  has  begun  its  departure  from  the  true 
ideal  of  democracy.  The  author  does  not  believe  it  to 
be  going  too  far  to  assert  that  every  republic  of  past 
times  has  found  its  destroyer  in  the  growth  and  establish- 
ment of  class-distinction  among  its  people.  Complicat- 
ing causes  of  downfall  there  have  been  which  would 
apparently  contradict  this  assertion,  but  it  is  believed 
that  after  stripping  each  individual  case  of  indirect  and 
extraneous  influences  the  actual  agent  of  destruction  will 
be  found  to  be  the  one  indicated. 

If  this  is  a  fact — and  there  seems  no  escape  from  the 
admission  that  it  is — there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  over- 
estimating its  importance  by  the  American  people.  As 
heretofore  intimated,  a  recognition  of  the  right  to  hold 
property  in  man,  by  his  fellow-man,  whether  the  skin  of 
the  enslaved  individual  be  white,  black,  red,  yellow,  or  of 
any  other  color,  is  a  veritable  foundation-stone  of  class- 
distinction. 

The  author  has  attempted  to  trace  in  detail,  in 
another  work,  the  causes  and  enveloping  conditions  of 
the  great  Rebellion,  and  reference  to  that  work  is  recom- 
mended for  a  full  exposition  of  his  views.  In  this  place 
it  may  be  briefly  said  that  the  original  moral  perversion  of 
our  Southern  fellow-citizen,  which  ultimately  led  to  the 
attempt  to  secede  from  the  Union,  was  engrafted  upon 
and  found  its  legitimate  development  in  the  system  of 


39^  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

human  slavery  practiced  among  them.  Class-distinction 
became  the  prominent  feature  of  their  political  and  social 
organizations.  The  unfortunate  negroes,  like  the  pariahs 
of  Hindostan,  were  utterly  vile  and  polluting  from  the 
social  standpoint,  while  the  poor  class  of  whites  were  so 
completely  crushed  in  aspiration,  reared  in  such  ignor- 
ance, and  smitten  with  such  poverty,  as  to  lead  to  their 
general  designation  as  "poor  white  trash."  Except  in 
the  cities  and  towns,  where  the  operations  of  trade  and 
general  industry  permitted  an  intermediate  stratum  of 
society,  there  were  in  strictness  no  middle  classes  of 
people.  The  practical  division  of  the  whites  was  into  the 
upper  and  lower  classes.  The  upper  rode  the  lower  with 
boots  and  spur,  and  the  under  dog  mounted  the  "nigger" 
whip  in  hand.  As  the  great  product  of  the  South  brought 
large  wealth  to  the  land-owners  the  feeling  of  caste  con- 
tinued to  grow.  Families  began  to  reach  back  for  titles 
of  gentility  to  their  ancestors.  Some  could  get  no 
farther  than  the  early  dignitaries  of  the  provinces,  but 
many  could  trace  a  line  of  direct  descent  from  a  noble 
stock  of  Great  Britain.  The  upper  classes  came  to 
believe  in  their  "good  blood;"  they  despised  trades- 
people and  cultivated  a  sort  of  mixed  chivalry,  com- 
pounded of  the  ferocity  of  the  feudal  system  and  the 
frothy  "highfalutin  "  of  the  more  modern  Castilian.  The 
author  would  not  willingly  exaggerate  the  follies  of  the 
Southern  people  as  then  constituted,  and  much  less  mis- 
represent them,  but  impartiality  could  say  no  less,  though 
strict  justice  might  require  the  saying  of  much  more. 


CASTE  SYSTEM  OF  THE  SOUTH,  397 

But  with  the  feeHng  of  aristocracy  existing  in  the 
South  for  a  score  of  years  before  the  actual  outbreak  of 
hostihties  between  the  sections,  it  was  impossible  that 
there  should  exist  any  sentiment  of  true  democracy 
among  the  Southern  people,  or,  any  desire  to  remain 
linked  with  the  common  horde  of  the  North,  who  had  no 
ancestry,  the  great  bulk  of  whom  had  no  personal  wealth, 
and  none  of  whom  had  any  refinement  or  courtly  man- 
ners. Consequently,  when  the  South  lost  control  of  the 
General  Government  in  1861,  the  time  had  arrived  when 
people  so  diverse  in  feeling  should  separate,  and  more 
emphatically  had  the  time  arrived  when  the  aristocracy 
of  the  sunny  South  should  have  a  government  representa- 
tive of  them,  and  not  of  a  nation  of  trades-people  like 
those  of  the  Northern  States.  The  real  purpose  of  the 
attempted  separation  was  obscured  and  perverted  by  the 
Southern  leaders,  but  the  inexorable  logic  of  the  premises 
leads  to  the  certain  conclusion  that  that  purpose  was  to 
erect  a  new  government  in  consonance  with  the  senti- 
ments of  those  who  were  the  leaders  and  directors  of  the 
Southern  people.  That  those  sentiments  did  not  run 
abreast  of  the  declaration  by  Lincoln  for  a  govern- 
ment for  the  people,  of  the  people,  and  by  the  people, 
admits  of  no  argument  whatever.  It  certainly  was  to  be 
a  government  recognizing  class-distinction,  and  no  subse- 
quent coup  d'etat  would  have  been  necessary  to  confirm 
the  traditional  title  of  "good  blood"  by  legislative  enact- 
ment. No  Southern  republic  was  possible  under  the 
existing  situation.     The  bane  of  republics  had  done  its 


39^  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

work,  and,  whether  they  knew  it  themselves  or  did  not,  the 
monarchy  was  the  inevitable  end  of  successful  separation. 

Now,  if  we  correctly  interpret  the  utterances  of 
ancient  history  upon  the  subject  of  republican  govern- 
ment, and,  coming  down  to  our  own  time  and  our  own 
government,  if  we  do  not  thrust  behind  us  the  broad  facts 
of  the  late  Southern  folly,  we  shall  see  how  inimical  to 
the  continuance  of  the  Republic  is  the  sentiment  underly- 
ing the  feeling  of  caste  in  a  nation.  But  do  the  people 
of  the  North  need  such  a  reminder?  It  is  the  opinion  of 
the  author  that  they  do.  There  are  certain  premonitions 
of  impending  danger  that  a  people  ought  always  to  heed, 
as  the  ship-master  does  the  barometric  changes  indicative 
of  the  coming  storm.  As  yet  there  may  be  no  concealed 
sighing  for  titles,  and  service,  and  all  the  trumpery  that 
the  regime  brings  among  our  wealthy  classes,  but  there 
are  certain  preliminary  indications  of  a  growth  certainly 
destined  to  imperil  the  integrity  of  the  body  politic. 
Enormous  concentration  of  wealth  in  individual  and  cor- 
porate hands  offers  opportunities  of  potential  influence, 
seductive  to  the  possessors  and  menacing  to  the  healthful 
interests  of  those  unfavored  with  it.  Every  man  should 
be  entitled  to  the  possession  and  enjoyment  of  wealth 
legitimately  acquired,  but  he  should  never  pervert  it  to 
the  oppression  of  others,  nor  to  deprive  them  of  their 
just  rights.  We  live  in  a  land  where  majorities  rule ;  and 
the  rich  are  always  in  a  minority.  This  should  never  be 
forgotten  by  our  people. 

The  author  has  no  purpose,  however,  to  be  led  out  of 


THE  CHARGE  OF  ARISTOCKATIC  TENDENCY.  399 

the  proper  line  of  argument  leading'  to  the  discussion  of 
the  subject-matter  of  the  present  volume.  The  previous 
remarks  upon  the  subject  of  caste  or  class-distinction 
have  been  adduced  in  order  to  show  that  the  existence  of 
this  evil  is  fatal  to  the  well-being  and  even  to  the  con- 
tinued life  of  a  republic.  This  being  successfully  estab- 
lished, it  will  be  easily  admitted  that  ever^'thing  tending 
to  the  development  of  the  feeling  of  class-exclusion 
should  be  repressed,  as  a  national  policy,  the  only  one 
under  which  the  Republic  can  hope  to  live.  Does  the 
system  under  which  the  Academies  at  West  Point  and 
Annapolis  exist  fall  within  the  strict  line  of  scrutiny  as 
to  its  character  in  this  respect  ? 

In  an  official  capacity  the  writer  has  been  compelled 
to  observe  both  of  these  institutions  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  the  system  upon  which  they  are  founded,  in  its 
practical  operation,  has  formed  the  subject  of  his  careful 
study.  His  conviction  of  the  faultiness  of  the  system,  as 
applied  to  the  republican  form  of  government,  as  well  as 
its  absolute  danger,  has  been  strengthened,  year  by  year, 
as  his  observation  and  study  have  extended.  It  is  pro- 
posed to  examine  the  principal  objections  to  the  system 
at  the  present  time. 

The  charge  of  promoting  a  spirit  of  aristocracy  among 
the  army  officials  has  been  alleged  against  the  institution 
at  West  Point  for  over  fifty  years.  Within  the  first  half 
century  of  its  existence  most  determined  attempts  were 
made  to  abolish  it  solely  upon  the  ground  of  this  princi- 
pal allegation.     The  friends  of  the  institution,   however,. 


400  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

have  succeeded  in  so  perverting  the  nature  of  the  real 
objections,  as  to  readily  defeat  all  attempts  against 
it.  To  illustrate  the  manner  in  which  the  vital  point  of 
the  charge  of  aristocratic  tendency  has  been  covered  from 
the  view  of  the  people  at  large,  a  quotation  is  here  intro- 
duced from  a  report  made  by  Chief  of  Engineers  Joseph 
G.  Totten  to  the  Hon.  William  L.  Marcy,  Secretary  of 
War,  under  date  of  November  i,  1845,  ^"^^  by  the  latter 
official  transmitted  under  cover  of  his  own  report  to  Con- 
gress. It  may  be  premised  that  Colonel  Totten  was  him- 
self a  graduate  at  West  Point,  and,  therefore,  performed 
a  grateful  duty  in  defending  his  alma  matei^  He  was  a 
very  competent  officer,  a  loyal  soldier,  and  a  true  repub- 
lican in  thought  and  action.  Insincerity  is  not  to  be 
alleged  against  him.  He  judged  the  institution  from  the 
standpoint  of  his  own  high  character,  and,  being  blinded 
himself  to  the  defects  of  the  institution,  he  assisted  in 
blinding  his  fellow-citizens  also.  It  is  curious  to  remark 
how  the  sharp  edge  of  a  perfectly  just  accusation  was 
turned,  and  has  remained  turned,  by  sophistry  of  the 
thinnest  texture.  Colonel  Totten  says  in  the  report 
alluded  to  : 

"A  few  general  statements  will  comprise  all  that  I  deem  it 
important  to  present  now  in  reference  to  certain  accusations  against 
the  management  and  tendencies  of  the  institution. 

"  A  very  common  charge  is  that  the  Military  Academy  is  aris- 
tocratical  in  its  constitution. 

"  In  relation  to  this  erroneous  allegation,  I  offer  the  following 
tabular  statement,  exhibiting  the  condition  in  life  of  the  cadets 
who  were  in  the  school  in  the  last  four  years,  including  1845  • 


COL  ON  EL   TO  T  TEN '  .S'  .9  TA  TLS  TICS. 


401 


1842 

1843 

1844 

59 

61 

61 

14 

12 

^5 

27 

25 

30 

18 

15 

23 

5 

2 

4 

12 

15 

15 

14 

16 

16 

4 

6 

6 

5 

15 

16 

15 

II 

15 

48 

34 
212 

23 
224 

221 

1845 


Parents  arc  or  were  farmers  or  planters 

Parents  are  or  were  mechanics 

Fathers  are  or  were  lawyers  or  judges 

Parents  are  or  were  merchants 

Parents  are  or  were  boarding-house  or  hotel-keepers 

Fathers  are  or  were  physicians 

Fathers  are  or  were  of  the  army,  navy,  or  marine  corps 

Fathers  are  or  were  clergymen 

Fathers  are  or  were  in  the  civil  employment  of  the  General 
or  State  Government 

Miscellaneous :  as  bank  officials,  editors,  professors,  engi- 
neers, masters  of  vessels,  etc 

Occupation  not  stated :  tJtose  having  mothers  only,  or  no 
parents , 


Total. 


Of  these  numbers,  the  parents  are  stated  to  be  in  moderate 
circumstances 

Of  these  numbers,  the  parents  are  stated  to  be  in  reduced  cir- 
cumstances   

Of  these  numbers,  the  parents  are  stated  to  be  in  indigent  cir- 
cumstances   

Of  these  numbers  the  parents  are  stated  to  be  independent 
in  life 


182 


39 


156 

26 

6 

18 


150 

37 

8 

19 


68 
22 
35 
27 

3 

13 
13 

6 

9 
23 

17 

236 


Of  these  numbers,  there  are  without  fathers  living 

26 
22 

57 
16 

44 
18 

48 
15 

Of  these  numbers,  without  either  father  or  mother 

Total  orphans , 

48 

73 

62 

63 

164 

36 

16 


Total. 


212 


224 


216 


"  It  vi^ill  be  seen  from  this  table  that  the  sons  of  the  wealthy 
and  independent  in  life  compose  but  a  very  small  proportion  of  the 
young  nien  at  the  Academy.  It  is  now  well  understood  through- 
out the  country  that  the  nominations  for  cadet  appointments  are 
made  by  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  the 


402  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

above  statement  clearly  demonstrates,  as  was  to  be  expected,  that 
this  privilege  has  been  exercised  in  a  praiseworthy  and  impartial 
manner.  In  truth,  that  it  gives  a  helping  hand  to  so  many  of  the 
poorer  youths  of  our  country,  and  qualifies  them  for  the  perform- 
ance, in  the  ablest  manner,  of  the  highest  duties  of  patriotism. 

*'  It  has  been  objected  to  the  institution  that  its  graduates 
monopolize  the  appointments  in  the  army,  thereby  entirely  depriv- 
ing persons  educated  elsewhere  and  engaged  in  the  civil  pursuits 
of  life  of  the  privilege  of  receiving  any  military  commission. 
This  objection  is  the  result  of  mistaken  views  as  to  the  tnanner  of 
making  appointments  into  our  army.  The  Military  Academy  forms 
now,  and  has  from  the  time  of  its  foundation  formed,  a  part  of 
the  army,  and  all  who  are  to  be  commissioned  in  the  service^ 
instead  of  being  appointed  at  once  to  the  higher  grade  of  second 
lieutenant,  receive  a  cadet  appointment,  and  serve  for  four  years 
as  warrant  officers  in  a  grade  between  that  of  first  sergeant  and 
that  of  second  lieutenant,  and  bearing  the  same  relation  to  the 
army  that  the  midshipman  does  to  the  navy.  That  is  to  say,  the 
first  military  office  into  which  the  citizen  enters  is  not  that  of  lieu- 
tenant, but  that  of  cadet  —  just  as  the  first  appointment  into  the 
navy  is  that  of  midshipman,  and  not  that  of  lieutenant.  While  the 
well-being  of  the  army  demands  such  a  course,  its  small  number 
permits  that  all  be  thus  instructed;  and  the  grade  of  cadet  is^ 
under  our  present  organization,  as  much  one  of  the  steps  in  the 
military  ladder  as  any  other  grade.  On  the  occasion  of  the 
enlargement  of  the  military  force,  this  source  would  not  supply 
the  requisite  number  of  officers,  and  then,  no  doubt,  many  appoint- 
ments would  have  to  be  made  from  private  life.  But  then  these 
appointments  would  be  made,  not  to  lieutenancies  alone,  but  to 
all  grades,  even  the  highest;  and  if  a  principle  drawn  from  the 
necessity  were  now  urged  as  a  reason  for  appointing  to  the  grade 
of  lieutenant,  it  would  be  found  equally  applicable  to  appointments 
in  any  other  grade,  so  that  it  might  with  equal  justice  be  consid- 
ered as  a  hardship  that  a  citizen  cannot  under  the  present  organi- 
zation be  made  at  once  a  captain,  major,  or  colonel,  etc.,  as  that  he 
cannot  be  made  a  lieutenant.  In  several  of  the  military  services 
of  Europe  the  same  grade  of  cadet  introduces,  even  in  the  line, 
the  youthful  aspirant  to  the  sequence  of  military  promotion. 

"  The  young  men  who  are  appointed  cadets,  or  warrant  officers. 


COLONEL   TOTTEN'S  DEFENSE.  4O3 

are  nominated,  as  has  been  mentioned,  by  the  members  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  and  are  selected  by  them  from  among 
the  sons  of  men  living  in  their  respective  districts,  and  engaged  in 
the  various  pursuits  and  professions  of  the  country.  It  would 
seeni,  therefore,  that  the  charge  of  monopoly  is  in  every  sense  an 
unmeaning  one.  Do  young  men  when  they  receive  appointments 
as  cadets  so  entirely  change  their  relations  to  the  country 
as  to  lose  all  claim  to  citizenship?  Are  they  not  as  much  citizens 
of  the  country  as  the  young  men  of  two-and-twenty  who  claim  to 
be  appointed  lieutenants  immediately  from  the  civil  pursuits  of 
life  ?  Is  not  the  nation  more  certain  of  securing  competent  officers 
—  officers  qualified  to  perform,  and  devoted  to,  their  duties  —  by 
subjecting  each  one  for  a  number  of  years  to  the  severe  ordeal 
which  the  Military  Academy  affords  ?  While  in  the  lowest  grade, 
the  cadets  are  required  to  devote  all  their  energies  to  the  acquisi- 
tion of  such  a  knowledge  of  their  profession  as  will  raise  them  to 
that  standard  of  acquirement  which  much  experience  has  shown 
it  wise  and  proper  to  exact  of  those  upon  whom  the  higher  mili- 
tary appointments  are  to  be  conferred.  This  standard,  which 
varies  for  different  arms  of  service,  is  not  considered  too  high.  In 
truth,  the  proficiency  which  it  requires  is  essential  to  qualify  the 
young  officer  for  the  efficient  performiance  of  the  various  duties  of 
his  station.  Much  of  the  information  necessary  to  form  a  good 
officer,  being  of  a  peculiar  nature,  can  only  be  acquired  in  connec- 
tion with  a  military  establishment.  The  question  then  arises,  how 
and  at  what  time  can  this  indispensable  knowledge  be  imparted 
in  the  best  and  most  economical  manner?  Ought  the  plan  to  be 
that  now  pursued,  of  selecting  a  number  of  young  men  each  year,  at 
the  age  when  the  mind  is  plastic  and  capable  of  rapid  improvement, 
and  sending  them  to  an  establishment  especially  fitted  for  instruc- 
tion, there  diligently  to  study  and  to  serve  for  a  number  of  years 
in  a  low  grade  and  with  small  compensation;  or,  as  suggested, 
should  gentlemen  of  more  advanced  age  be  appointed  to  the 
higher  grade  of  lieutenant,  and  sent  with  better  compensation  at 
once  to  the  various  military  posts  of  the  country  to  receive  the 
requisite  instruction  ?  The  plan  now  followed  has  many  advan- 
tages over  the  last,  both  in  point  of  economy  and  efficiency. 

"An  impression  prevails  with  some  that  the  number  of  cadets 
at  the  Academy  is  too  large,  that  it  might  be  somewhat  reduced 


404  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

and  then  furnish  a  sufficient  number  of  scientific  officers  for  the 
arm}^  as  now  organized.  This  subject  was  so  fully  discussed  in  my 
last  report,  to  which  I  beg  leave  to  again  refer,  that  it  is  not  deemed 
necessary  to  repeat  the  many  facts  and  statements  then  fully  set 
forth.  It  may  be  simply  mentioned  that  the  graduates  of  each 
year  very  little  exceed  in  number  the  vacancies  accruing  annually 
in  the  army  by  deaths,  resignations,  and  other  casualties,  and  that 
the  brevet  lieutenants  accruing  to  the  service  from  this  small  excess 
are  constantly  and  advantageousl}^  employed,  either  with  their  com- 
panies, on  the  coast  survey,  or  on  other  detached  duties.  Many  of 
the  higher  grades  of  officers  are  necessarily  separated  from  their 
companies  at  all  times,  as  assistant  adjutants-general,  assistant 
commissaries,  assistant  quartermasters  ;  on  the  recruiting  service; 
as  aides-de-camp  ;  on  the  coast  survey;  as  assistant  professors  and 
instructors  at  West  Point,  and  on  other  special  services,  making  a 
total  at  the  present  time  of  eighty-eight,  exclusive  of  the  officers 
who  are  acting  as  adjutants  of  the  different  regiments,  who  are 
sick,  who  are  on  leaves  of  absence,  or  detached  by  other  casualties. 
The  legitimate  duties  of  all  these  officers  must  be  performed  by 
others,  and  the  brevet  lieutenants  furnish  the  means  of  supplying 
in  part  their  places  in  their  respective  companies.  They  are  thus 
called  upon  to  do  the  duties  appertaining  to  higher  ranks  in  the 
army  —  sometimes  one,  two,  or  even  three  grades  above  their  own. 
''  In  this  connection  I  will  also  remark  that  we  ought  not  to 
lose  sight  of  the  fundamental  principle  which  should  always  govern 
our  peace  establishment,  namely,  that  of  a  skeleton  force,  small, 
but  capable  of  sudden  augmentation,  in  order  that  a  much  larger 
force  may  be  speedily  organized  and  brought  to  a  state  of  efficiency 
in  times  of  emergency  with  the  least  possible  delay.  On  a  sudden 
increase  of  the  army,  the  present  companies  might  be  doubled  ;  at 
least,  some  of  the  non-commissioned  officers  could  be  withdrawn 
to  mix  with  the  companies  of  the  new  regiments,  a  portion  of  the 
officers  of  experience  would  be  promoted  to  the  same  regiments,  to 
the  regimental  staff,  and  to  the  general  staff  of  the  army ;  thus 
securing  to  the  country  in  a  very  brief  period  a  large  and  well 
disciplined  army."     Etc.,  etc. 

A  careful   consideration   of  the   attempted  refutation 
of    charges   against    the    West    Point    Academy,   as    set 


THE  REAL  CHARGE  ElADED.  405 

forth  In  the  foregoing  report  of  Colonel  Totten,  will  be 
sufficiently  convincing,  not  only  that  the  arguments  upon 
which  the  refutation  is  based  are  deceptive  and  valueless, 
but,  also,  that  the  real  charge  against  the  institution  — 
that  of  its  aristocratic  tendency  —  is  wholly  evaded  in  this 
attempted  defense. 

In  the  preparation  of  a  table  of  statistics  such  as 
accompanies  the  report  of  Colonel  Totten.  it  might  be 
easy  enough  to  ascertain  with  entire  accuracy  the  profes- 
sions or  callings  of  the  parents  of  the  students  at  the 
Academy  during  any  period  of  years,  but  when  the 
worthy  chief,  in  his  ready  zeal  to  defend  the  institution 
against  all  assault,  attempts  to  classify  the  parents  them- 
selves into  those  "in  moderate  circumstances,"  "those 
in  reduced  circumstances,"  "those  in  indigent  circum- 
stances," "those  independent  in  life"  (this  latter  class 
constituting  a  very  small  ratio  of  the  whole  number),  the 
reader  can  hardly  help  being  struck  by  the  conviction 
that  the  author  of  the  defense  has  gone  altogether  too  far 
for  material  which,  under  the  most  favorable  interpreta- 
tion, can  have  but  slight  bearing  on  the  case,  and  which, 
in  any  event,  must  be  wholly  untrustworthy  and  uncertain 
in  character.  When  it  comes  to  considering  how  many  par- 
ents each  student  has,  or  whether  he  be  a  half  or  a  whole 
orphan,  in  connection  with  its  bearing  upon  the  aristo- 
cratic tendencies  of  the  institution,  it  is  difficult  to 
repress  the  smile  evoked  by  the  utter  absurdity  of  the 
proposition. 

But  the  main  point  in  the  matter  is  that  the  reply  is  a 


406  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

complete  evasion  of  the  charge  of  an  aristocratic  ten- 
dency, so  long  alleged  as  an  objection  to  the  institution 
at  West  Point  as  well  as  to  its  sister  institution  at  Annap- 
olis. The  whole  question  at  issue  is  perverted,  and  the 
facts  adduced  have  no  bearing  whatever  upon  the  case. 
Over  a  quarter  of  a  century  subsequent  to  the  date  of 
Colonel  Totten's  report,  "the  aristocratical  tendency"  of 
the  students  at  West  Point  among  themselves  was,  it  is 
true,  most  painfully  manifested  in  the  exhibition  of  a 
class-feeling  that  led  to  the  persecution  of  cadets  whose 
parents,  while,  perhaps,  in  "indigent  circumstances,"  had 
also  the  misfortune  —  a  criminal  and  wholly  disqualifying 
one,  in  the  minds  of  the  West  Point  persecutors  —  to 
possess  a  colored  skin.  Apart  from  this  exhibition  of 
narrow-minded  tyranny,  confined,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  to  a 
few,  the  author  is  not  aware  that  there  exists,  or  that 
there  has  existed,  or  that  it  has  been  generally  charged 
that  there  exists,  a  feeling  of  caste-distinction  among  the 
students  themselves  of  our  national  academies. 

The  charge  goes  wholly  beyond  that,  and  assumes  a 
much  more  pernicious  character,  because  it  affects  the 
national  interest.  In  broad  terms,  then,  it  may  be  said 
that  the  tendency  of  our  present  military  and  naval  system 
of  education  is  to  create  a  body  of  men  in  a  republican  coun- 
try, the  very  nature  of  the  circumstances  tender  which  the 
body  is  created  and  maintained  implying  the  same  feattire 
of  class-distinction,  or  of  aristocracy,  that  distinguishes  the 
similar  bodies  of  men  in  piirely  aristocratic  or  monarchical 
countries. 


OPPORTUNITIES  FOR  C/ESARISM.  407 

Upon  the  very  threshold  of  the  argument  which  the 
author  is  now  briefly  to  make,  he  draws  emphatic  attention 
to  the  fact  that  his  allegations  as  above  set  forth  lie  against 
the  system  and  not  against  individuals  who  have  received 
or  may  receive  their  military  or  naval  education  at  either 
of  the  institutions  now  under  discussion.  The  country 
has  had  many  illustrations  of  able  and  patriotic  soldiers 
and  sailors,  offsprings  of  both  institutions.  The  renowned 
soldier  who  led  the  Union  armies  to  victory  was  a  gradu* 
ate  of  West  Point,  as  were  also  his  great  marshals,  Sher- 
man, Sheridan,  Hancock,  and  others.  These  brave  men 
were  not  only  patriotic  and  extraordinarily  skilled  in  their 
profession,  but  they  were,  and  those  of  them  yet  left  with 
us  still  are,  utterly  destitute  of  any  taint  savoring  of  the 
odor  that  clings  around  an  aristocracy.  The  author  will 
be  pardoned  for  going  still  farther,  to  say  that  our  own 
generation  is  not  fully  appreciative  of  the  pure  character 
of  the  men  referred  to.  Full  justice  to  their  names  will 
only  come  at  a  later  period  in  history,  and  this  is  said  in 
no  derogation  of  the  gratitude  and  discernment  of  the 
loyal  citizens  of  the  present  day  who  have  done  so  much 
in  recognition  of  their  heroes.  But  there  are  some  sur- 
vivors of  the  great  conflict  who  know  that  the  opportunity 
to  attempt  the  role  of  a  Csesar  or  of  a  Napoleon  was  pre- 
sented to  more  than  one  of  the  great  generals  to  whom 
the  life  of  the  Republic  is  due.  That  there  was  abso- 
lutely no  tinge  of  personal  ambition  at  the  expense  of 
country  among  the  really  great  leaders,  implies  not  only 
love  of  country,  but  deep  love  of  republican  institutions. 


408  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

All  honor  to  the  men  who  saved  us,  not  only  from  a 
Southern  monarchy,  but  likewise  from  a  Northern  dictator- 
ship. 

Having  said  this  much  in  laudation  of  some  of  the 
alumni  of  West  Point,  it  is  not  to  be  admitted  for  a 
moment  that  the  institution  is  to  be  wholly  credited  with 
either  the  creation  of  their  rare  military  abilities  or  their 
utter  freedom  from  aristocratic  tendency  and  yearnings, 
as  manifested  by  their  simple  love  of  country  and  pure  de- 
votion to  the  forms  of  a  true  republic.  The  mere  per- 
sofinel  of  these  soldiers  argues  nothing  in  favor  of  the 
system  at  West  Point.  It  must  never  be  overlooked  in 
the  consideration  of  such  a  question  that  a  majority  of 
the  Southern  leaders,  who  so  nearly  succeeded  in  grasp- 
ing victory  for  their  cause,  were  graduates  of  the  same 
institution  at  West  Point.  The  statistics  are  not  at  hand 
to  prove  the  fact  that  a  greater  portion  of  the  Southern 
leaders  were  graduated  from  this  institution  than  were  the 
same  proportion  of  Northern  leaders,  but  there  cannot  be 
much  room  for  doubt  upon  the  point.  The  able  captain 
of  the  Southern  Rebellion,  measured  by  the  test  of  class- 
standing,  more  nearly  represented  West  Point  than  did 
his  great  adversary  Ulysses  S.  Grant.  A  reference  to 
Table  IV.,  upon  page  246,  will  disclose  the  fact  that 
while  the  one  stood  near  the  head  of  his  classes,  the  other 
did  not  reach  sufficiently  near  the  foot  of  his  own  to  get 
his  name  upon  the  table.  This  circumstance  proves  more 
than  would,  at  first  view,  appear. 

Comparison   between   the  two   great   captains   of  the 


GRANT  AND  LEE  COMPARED.  4O9 

war  in  the  aspect  of  military  skill  would  serve  no  useful 
purpose,  but  the  leading  facts  of  their  public  career  afford 
most  profitable  material  for  reflection.  The  Northerner  — 
born  in  humble  circumstances ;  reared  to  a  life  of  hard 
toil  and  self-dependence ;  schooled  in  the  simple  virtues 
of  the  poor — wholly  failed  to  distinguish  himself  in  the 
curriculum  of  studies  at  the  Academy,  and,  indeed,  barely 
passed  the  final  examination.  When  the  time  came, 
however,  for  an  application  of  the  crucial  test,  found  in 
practical  demonstration,  lo !  the  dull  pupil  was  trans- 
formed into  a  military  genius  never  surpassed,  if  indeed 
ever  equaled,  in  the  whole  annals  of  war.  But  further 
than  this,  his  early  home  education  and  training  had 
permanently  instilled  into  his  mind  and  heart  the  value 
and  love  of  republican  institutions,  and  when  the  dread 
crisis  came,  requiring  all  citizens  of  the  country  to  decide 
as  to  their  fealty,  party  friends  and  considerations  were 
thrust  aside  by  the  simple-hearted  patriot,  and  the  whole 
power  of  his  superb  genius  was  thrown  to  the  support  of 
the  Government  of  the  people.  The  Southerner — born 
in  a  line  of  ancestry  carefully  preserved  and  boasted  of; 
descended  from  families  that  with  each  succeeding^  gfen- 
eration  approached  nearer  and  nearer  the  atmosphere  in 
Vv^hich  republican  feeling  withers  and  the  flower  of  caste 
reaches  perfection ;  reared  in  affluence ;  supplied  with 
every  requisite  to  make  life  a  brilliant  success ;  a  child  of 
the  Government ;  a  sworn  defender  of  the  whole  coun- 
try-—  met  that  crisis  in  an  entirely  different  manner.  He 
was  as  true  to  the  teachings  of  his  early  education  as  was 


4IO  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

his  great  antagonist.  The  latter  was  the  growth  of 
honest  repubHcanisni ;  the  former  the  scion  of  an  incipient 
aristocracy.  Having  no  faith  in  the  theory  upon  which 
repubhcs  are  built,  he  held  no  sympathy  for  the  Republic 
in  practice,  and  when  the  menaced  country  called  aloud 
in  the  agony  of  its  great  peril,  ".Help  me,  Cassius,  or  I 
sink,"  he  coldly  opened  the  flood-gates  of  revolution,  and 
with  his  own  hand  poured  down  the  waters  of  destruction 
upon  its  head. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE    PRESENT    MILITARY    SYSTEM    INIMICAL    TO    REPUBLICAN 

INSTITUTIONS LIFE-SERVICE  IN  THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY 

COMPARISON    WITH    THE   JUDICIAL    SERVICE    OF    THE    GOV- 
ERNMENT  COURTS-MARTIAL      AND      COURTS-JUDICIAL 

DOES    THE    CONSTITUTION    AUTHORIZE    CONGRESS    TO    CRE- 
ATE    A     CONTINUOUS    MILITARY    ESTABLISHMENT? THE 

MILITARY     PRACTICALLY      BEYOND     THE     REACH     OF     THE 

SOVEREIGN      PEOPLE THE     PRESENT     SYSTEM       WHOLLY 

UN-AMERICAN THE     TERRIBLE    LESSON    OF    THE    REBEL- 
LION  DANGERS    OF     CONFINING    MILITARY     KNOWLEDGE 

TO    A    COMPARATIVELY    SMALL    NUMBER    OF    CITIZENS, 

IN  the  preceding  chapter  the  author  has  stated  that  the 
charge  against  the  national  academies  of  a  tendency 
to  foster  the  growth  of  the  aristocratic  sentiment  has  no 
bearing  upon  discriminations  of  class  among  the  pupils 
therriselves.  The  evil  of  the  system  in  that  direction 
lies  in  the  erection  of  a  body  of  men  into  an  organization 
that,  by  reason  of  the  principle  upon  which  it  is  con 
stituted,  is  directly  opposed  to  the  theories  upon  which 
republics  are  founded  and  upon  which  alone  they 
can  exist.  A  pupil  entering  those  academies  under- 
stands that  he  is  tendered  a  life-occupation,  with  the 
privilege  of  relinquishing  it  should  he  desire  to  do  so, 
but  with  no  power  vested  in  the  Government  to  deprive 

him  of  it  so  long  as  his  conduct  is  at  all  passable. 

411 


412  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

An  interesting  discussion  involving  the  matter  just 
touched  upon  occurred  in  the  United  States  Senate  dur- 
ing the  first  session  of  the  Forty-ninth  Congress.  This 
discussion  arose  upon  a  bill  to  restore  to  the  naval  regis- 
ter the  names  of  certain  pupils  who,  by  the  act  of  1882, 
had  been  discharged  from  the  Naval  Academy.  This  act, 
it  may  be  briefly  explained,  was  passed  in  view  of  the 
fact  of  an  annual  surplus  of  graduates  from  the  Academy 
in  excess  of  the  vacancies  occurring  in  the  service  each 
year,  whereby  a  number  of  the  graduates  were  left  with- 
out places  to  which  they  could  be  assigned.  The  legisla- 
tion enacted  in  1882  to  meet  this  difficulty  provided  that 
only  the  first  ten  in  class-standing  at  the  annual  examina- 
tions should  be  assigned  to  places,  while  the  others  who 
had  also  successfully  passed  the  examinations  might 
receive  a  diploma  and  a  sum  of  money  —  about  one  thou- 
sand dollars  — in  lieu  of  an  assignment.  A  number  of  the 
class  of  that  year  who  failed  to  get  into  the  naval  service 
by  reason  of  this  legislation  subsequently  petitioned  Con- 
gress to  place  their  names  upon  the  naval  register,  claim- 
ing that  they  had  entered  the  Academy  with  the  under- 
standing, warranted  by  uninterrupted  usage,  that  they 
were  to  be  permanently  received  into  the  naval  service  of 
the  United  States.  It  was  upon  the  consideration  of  a 
bill  granting  the  request  of  the  petitioners  that  the  dis- 
cussion above  alluded  to  took  place. 

The  discussion  seemed  to  indicate  the  pretty  unani- 
mous opinion  that  Congress  has  the  power  to  legislate 
upon  the  subject  of  admission  to  the  naval  service — and 


DIFFICULTY  OF  DISMISSING  OFFICIALS.  41^ 

by  logical  sequence  to  the  army  also  —  through  the 
national  academies,  but  no  expression  was  made  upon  the 
equally  vital  point  of  abbreviating  the  career  of  an  officer 
who  has  already  entered  into  one  or  the  other  service. 
For  the  information  of  the  reader  it  may  be  stated  before 
leaving  the  point  that  the  bill  to  reinstate  the  applicants 
failed  to  pass  the  Senate. 

But,  returning  to  the  matter  of  terminating  the  career 
of  an  official  already  in  the  service,  it  will  be  suggested  at 
once  that  he  is  amenable  to  the  laws  covering  proper 
conduct,  and  that  in  violating  them  a  ready  means  is 
afforded  of  removing  him  from  the  service.  Were  this 
means  a  radical  preventive  of  ill-conduct  and  a  certain 
sluice-gate  whereby  offensive  and  unworthy  persons  might 
always  be  discharged,  the  fact  would  not  even  then  reach 
to  the  point  which  the  author  wishes  to  raise,  viz.:  that 
the  pupil  upon  entering  the  United  States  service,  either 
as  one  of  the  highest  ten  or  of  any  other  number,  under- 
stands that  upon  compliance  with  the  imposed  requisites 
he  is  to  enjoy  a  life-service  only  to  be  terminated  by  him- 
self. This  point  is  dwelt  upon  because  of  the  bearing  it 
iias  in  a  moral  sense  upon  the  question  under  discussion. 
While  the  means  spoken  of  above  may  appear  wholly 
sufficient  to  purge  the  military  or  naval  service  of  unworthy 
material,  the  remedy  is  not  to  be  accepted  in  a  too  radical 
sense.  Ordinary  bad  conduct  in  the  army  or  navy  is  not 
dealt  with  by  the  judicial  arm  of  the  Government,  but 
jurisdiction  is  remitted  to  the  service  itself  to  which  the 
official  belongs.      His  case  is  considered  and  adjudicated 


414  "^HE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

by  means  of  courts-martial,  which  are  a  very  different 
thing  from  civil  courts  of  justice,  although  justice  is 
sought  to  be  reached  by  them.  Courts-martial  and 
courts-judicial  should  be  in  spirit  and  essence  one  and 
the  same  thing,  but  with  no  disrespect  to  the  military  or 
naval  service  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  a  difference  in 
both  spirit  and  essence  largely  growing  out  of  the  changed 
relations  of  the  individual  under  the  service  of  strict 
discipline  which  the  military  and  naval  necessity  imposes. 
Thus,  a  sentinel  found  sleeping  at  his  post  on  duty  would, 
under  martial  law,  be  condemned  to  death,  though  the 
civil  law  would  prescribe  no  such  penalty  for  a  policeman 
found  sleeping  upon  his  beat.  Conversely,  a  man  found 
intoxicated  in  civil  life  would  be  sent  to  a  lock-up,  while 
a  soldier  or  sailor  might  become  intoxicated  with  impun- 
ity, etc. 

All  of  this  aside,  however,  the  broad  fact  to  be  borne 
in  mind  is  that  the  individual  entering  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  in  its  army  or  navy  branch,  as  an  officer, 
practically  has  a  life-occupation  under  the  Government 
secured  to  him.  There  is  but  one  other  branch  of  the 
National  Government  of  which  this  can  be  said  —  the 
judicial  branch.  With  this  single  exception  every  indi- 
vidual, from  the  President  down  to  the  most  unimportant 
clerk,  is  directly  or  indirectly  within  accountability  to  the 
electors  of  the  country.  Some  further  exception  to  this 
sweeping  rule  has  been  sought  to  be  created  of  late 
years  through  the  establishment  of  the  Civil  Service. 
There  are  well-defined   distinctions,   however,  existing 


COURTS-MARTIAL  AND  COURTS-JUDICIAL.  415 

between  the  military  and  the  judicial  servants  of  the 
Government  which  make  the  former,  in  the  respect  in 
which  we  are  now  viewing  the  case,  altogether  superior  to 
the  latter,  theoretically  considered  the  higher  branch  of 
the  Government,  as,  in  matters  belonging  to  its  jurisdic- 
tion, it  has  the  last  decision  over  Congress  and  the 
executive.  By  section  i  of  article  III.  of  the  Constitu- 
tion it  is  provided  that  "the  judges,  both  of  the  Supreme 
and  inferior  courts,  shall  hold  their  offices  during  good 
behavior,"  but  the  same  instrument,  while  authorizing 
the  Congress  "  to  raise  and  support  armies,  to  provide 
and  maintain  a  navy,  and  to  make  rules  for  the  govern- 
ment and  regulation  of  the  land  and  naval  forces,"  has 
nowhere  expressly  said  that  the  officers  of  the  military 
and  naval  branch  shall  only  hold  during  good  behavior. 
The  power  to  make  such  a  regulation  is,  of  course,  dele- 
gated to  Congress,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  this  body 
has  ever  specifically  laid  down  the  rules  which  the  Consti- 
tution establishes  in  the  case  of  the  judges.  Under 
the  codes  of  the  War  and  Naval  Departments  members 
of  both  services  are  amenable  to  trial  for  offenses  against 
the  codes,  but  under  the  most  favorable  aspect  there  is  a 
very  wide  distinction  between  the  specific  enunciation  of 
a  rule  in  the  fundamental  law  itself  and  the  delegation  of 
power  to  make  rules  in  general  to  some  other  authority 
by  the  same  document.  The  source  of  appointing  power 
is  the  same  for  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  as  it  is  for 
judges  of  the  Supreme  and  inferior  courts,  and  they  are 
all   supposed   to   be   amenable    to    the   same   authority^ 


41  6  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Why,  then,  is  It  specifically  provided  in  the  Constitution 
itself  that  the  judiciary  shall  only  hold  during  good 
behavior,  while  the  instrument  remains  silent  upon  the 
office  tenure  of  the  only  other  permanent  branch  of  the 
Government  —  the  army  and  navy  of  the  country? 

This  is  no  place  to  go  into  the  discussion  of  a  ques- 
tion which  must  be  raised  soon  or  late,  as  it  appears  to  the 
author.  This  question  is  whether  section  12  of  article 
I.  of  the  Constitution,  giving  to  Congress  the  power  "to 
raise  and  support  armies,"  though  "  no  appropriation  of 
money  to  that  use  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than  two 
years,"  really  furnishes  at  all  a  warrant  for  a  regular  and 
continuous  military  establishment  in  the  sense  of  a  stand- 
ing army  as  it  is  now  understood.  This  authority  follows 
immediately  the  section  conferring  upon  Congress  the 
authority  "to  declare  war,"  etc.,  and  immediately  precedes 
in  subject-separation  the  provision  authorizing  Congress 
"  to  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the 
laws  of  the  Union,  suppress  insurrections,  repel  inva- 
sions," etc. 

As  above  intimated,  however,  the  discussion  of  such  a 
question  is  entirely  foreign  to  the  author's  present  pur- 
pose. The  point  to  be  made  clear  at  this  moment  is  the 
practical  difference  between  the  office  tenure  of  the  two 
permanent  branches  of  the  Government  —  the  judiciary 
and  the  army  and  navy.  The  difference  constituted  by 
positive  declaration  in  case  of  the  former,  and  the  entire 
absence  of  any  such  declaration  in  case  of  the  latter,  is  a 
very  practical  one  when  followed  into  the  ramifications  of 


OFFICE-TENURE  OF   THE  MILFTAKY. 


4T 


actual  application  or  operaticn.  This  point  of  difference 
will  be  readily  grasped  by  any  reflecting  mind  and  need 
not  be  dwelt  upon  nor  be  followed  to  its  rational  con- 
clusion. 

There  is  still  another  distinction,  however,  inherent  to 
the  nature  of  the  two  bodies  of  individuals.  The  military 
profession  —  embracing  within  the  general  term  of  military 
both  the  army  and  navy  —  is  an  exclusive  one  in  a  sense 
that  its  members  constitute  a  distinct  entity  in  the  com- 
munity. The  knowledge  of  this  body,  theoretical,  and 
especially  practical,  is  confined  to  the  body.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  profession  are  clothed  in  uniforms  radically 
differing  from  the  garb  of  a  simple  citizen  ;  they  live 
apart  from  the  general  community  and  under  their  own 
laws  and  regulations ;  they  are  legally  invested  with 
weapons  and  a  power  over  the  lives  of  other  men ;  and 
they  constitute  that  force  which  is  potent  to  defend  or 
destroy  a  nation.  They  are  the  embodiment  of  the  im- 
perium  in  imperio.  Being  thus  a  body  apart  from  the 
general  constituents  of  the  community,  amenable  only  to 
their  owm  authorities  and  their  own  internal  regulations, 
they  pass  out  of  the  scrutiny  of  civil  society.  Should  one 
of  the  members  of  the  body  commit  an  offense  subjecting 
him  to  the  penalties  prescribed  by  the  military,  not  the 
civil,  authority,  he  is  tried  by  a  military  and  not  by  a  civil 
court.  To  the  constitution,  rules  of  procedure,  preroga- 
tives, etc.,  of  such  a  court  the  general  publi"c  are,  as  a  rule, 
entire  strangers.  It  may  be  said,  in  a  general  sense,  that 
the  whole  proceeding,  from  the  court-martial  to  the  con- 


41 8  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

sideration  and  disposal  of  the  sentence  by  the  War  or 
Navy  Department,  is  as  far  removed  from  the  scrutiny 
and  knowledge  of  the  people  at  large  as  though  it  had 
taken  place  in  the  heart  of  Africa. 

A  man  occupying  the  position  of  a  judicial  officer  of 
the  Government  moves  within  the  immediate  circle  of 
civil  society.  He  is  subject  to  its  constant  scrutiny  both 
in  his  official  and  personal  character.  His  profession  is 
not  technical  in  the  military  interpretation.  Should  a 
judicial  officer  offend  in  a  personal  or  a  moral  sense,  the 
eyes  of  the  multitude  are  upon  him,  and  the  people  are 
quick  to  demand  that  he  be  brought  to  a  proper  account. 
Should  he  be  incompetent  in  a  legal  sense,  or  corrupt  in 
the  administration  of  his  office,  there  are  thousands  of 
men  about  him,  learned  in  the  profession  and  fully  com- 
petent to  detect  incapability  or  dishonesty.  The  Ameri- 
can people,  as  a  rule,  are  a  nation  of  lawyers  from  force 
of  general  education  and  forms  of  life.  Should  a  judicial 
officer  place  himself  within  the  pale  of  investigation,  his 
trial  becomes  a  matter  of  national  concern  :  it  is  con- 
ducted, so  to  speak,  before  the  people  themselves,  who 
thus  become  in  a  certain  sense  the  last  judges  of  the 
matter. 

From  this  lengthened  statement  it  must  appear  that  a 
judicial  officer  has  a  greatly  less  certain  tenure  of  official 
life  than  has  a  member  of  the  especially  favored  class  of 
American  citizens  whose  names  make  up  the  official  rosters 
of  the  American  army  and  navy. 

In  all  that  essentially  constitutes  such  a  relation,  these 


Famous  Military  Leaders 


THE  MILITARY  A  PRIVILEGED  CLASS.  4 1  9, 

latter  are  a  highly  privileged  class.  During  early  youth 
they  are  endowed  with  a  most  liberal  education  at  the 
public  expense,  and  upon  the  completion  of  their  academic 
course  they  are  placed  at  the  beginning  of  an  official 
career  involving  a  life-tenure  which,  through  the  mere 
casualties  of  nature,  carries  them  through  progressive 
stages  of  higher  honor  and  greater  emolument  until  finally- 
they  are  retired  from  active  service  at  a  certain  age  to< 
enjoy  the  rest  of  life  upon  a  fixed  salary  from  the  Govern- 
ment. No  change  of  political  parties  affects  them.  They 
are  wholly  beyond  the  reach  of  the  sovereign  people.  Presi- 
dents, senators,  representatives  in  Congress,  and,  through 
these,  Cabinet  officers,  foreign  ministers  and  consuls,  de- 
partment officials  spread  over  the  entire  country,  and,  in 
brief,  the  whole  personnel  of  the  General  and  State  Gov- 
ernments, are  called  at  fixed  intervals  to  the  bar  of  the 
whole  people;  judgment  is  pronounced  upon  them  as 
public  servants;  the  policy  for  the  next  stated  term  of 
official  investiture  is  marked  out ;  individuals  are  assigned 
to  the  various  places  of  trust,  and  the  common  people  go 
back  to  the  duties  of  their  daily  life. 

Now  this  formula  is  the  very  essence  of  a  popular 
government,  and  just  to  the  extent  that  it  is  departed  from 
does  the  government  fail  in  the  perfect  ideal  of  the  true 
republic.  Of  late  years  there  has  been  a  strong  tendency 
among  some  of  the  public  men  of  our  country  to  extend 
the  privileged,  or,  as  it  may  be  said,  the  life-tenure  class 
of  officeholders.  This  tendency  grows,  as  the  author 
believes,  from  the  too  common  disposition  to  look  to  the 


420  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

monarchical  forms  of  government  for  models  upon  which 
to  perfect  republican  institutions.  The  idea  seems  absurd. 
One  of  the  contemplated  Innovations  consists  of  creating 
a  diplomatic  and  consular  corps  with  a  life-tenure  of  office, 
as  is  the  practice  of  all  European  monarchies,  as  it  also  is 
of  the  Republic  of  France.  Such  a  practice  would  be 
pernicious  alike  to  the  theory  upon  which  our  Government 
is  founded  and  to  the  healthful  results  of  its  practical 
operations  considered  from  a  standpoint  of  our  foreign 
relations,  as  well  as  in  the  peril  of  the  mere  example.  To 
call  into  being  a  life-class  of  this  description  would  be  to 
create  a  body  of  men  who,  far  removed  from  the  scrutiny 
of  their  fellow-citizens,  and  possessing  a  security  of  office- 
tenure,  would  become  as  indolent,  presumptive,  inefficient, 
and  aristocratic  as  are  the  generality  of  the  monarchical 
foreign  representatives.  As  much  as,  and  even  more  than 
any  other  class  of  American  officeholders,  our  foreign  min- 
isters and  consuls  need  the  stimulus  to  action  and  fidelity 
which  periodical  accountability  to  the  people  alone  can  give. 
Under  our  present  system,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the 
United  States  has  a  more  efficient  foreign  corps,  in  the 
general  make-up,  than  any  other  country. 

Hence,  instead  of  extending  the  privileged  classes,  it 
should  be  our  effort  to  confine  their  number  to  the  very 
minimum  compatible  with  the  necessity  of  administra- 
tion. 

But  to  resume  the  consideration  of  the  army  and  navy 
class  with  which  we  have  to  do  in  the  present  volume,  the 
foregoing  facts  and  arguments  may  be  now  cited  in  cor- 


DANGERS  OF  A  LIFE-TENURE. 


421 


roboration  of  the  charge  so  frequently  made  against  the 
system  of  national  academies,  that  it  is  aristocratic  in  its 
tendencies.  Why  should  it  not  be  ?  The  case  rests  upon 
a  basis  as  fixed  and  unvarying  as  a  mathematical  problem, 
which  simply  requires  a  statement  of  the  factors  in  order 
to  produce  the  inevitable  result.  The  young  men  of 
these  national  institutions  are  prepared  for  their  career  by 
an  education  which,  in  the  points  of  liberality  and  general 
application,  can  be  secured  at  but  few  of  the  collegiate 
institutions  of  America.  With  this  education  they  are 
started  upon  a  career  promising  much  honor  and  great 
glory,  and  which,  as  frequently  stated,  practically  covers  a 
life-tenure  irrespective  of  any  civil  or  political  authority 
whatever.  Further  than  this,  they  are  the  defenders  of 
the  Government  —  the  firm  rock  upon  which  the  nation 
rests.  Why  should  not  such  conditions  result,  especially 
in  the  absence  of  the  strength  of  mind,  possessed 
by  a  Grant,  a  Sherman,  a  Sheridan,  and  by  many 
others,  in  the  gradual  growth  of  a  feeling  of  superiority 
over  the  commoner  conditions  of  men  ?  Let  the  advo- 
cates of  the  system  say  what  they  will,  this  is  the  legiti- 
mate, and  it  is  the  practical  effect.  The  American  army 
or  navy  officer,  if  worthy  in  private  character,  has  a  ready 
entree  into  every  grade  of  society  at  home  and  abroad.  It 
makes  no  difference  if  in  his  school  days  he  belonged  to 
the  class  whose  parents  were  in  "indigent  circumstances," 
as  described  by  the  worthy  Colonel  Totten,  his  reception 
into  any  society  whatever  is  assured  by  the  honorable 
class-position    which    he    occupies.       Therefore,    notwith- 


42  2  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Standing  the  exceptions  which  may  be  freely  adduced  to 
the  contrary,  the  tendency  to  the  creation  and  growth  of 
the  caste  or  aristocratic  feehng  exists  as  a  veritable  and 
incontrovertible  fact,  and  it  may  be  said  in  general  terms 
that  it  was  through  the  feeling  of  aristocracy  engendered 
in  Southern  people  as  a  part  of  their  domestic  system, 
added  to  by  the  education  and  tendencies  of  the  West 
Point  system,  that  such  men  as  Lee  and  his  confreres 
found  it  so  easy  to  glide  from  the  defense  of  their 
country  into  an  open  war  upon  its  life.  The  tendency, 
then,  is  there ;  the  circumstances  warrant  it,  and  it 
requires  strong  republicanism  to  resist  it. 

The  army  and  navy  are,  numerically,  so  infinitesimal, 
as  compared  with  the  fifty  odd  million  common  people, 
that  the  military  power  is  wholly  swallowed  up,  so  far  as 
any  dangerous  possibility  is  concerned.  In  the  present 
disposition  of  things,  the  evil  is  wholly  theoretical,  not 
practical.  But,  unquestionably,  the  system  of  a  privi- 
leged class,  holding  a  life-tenure  of  office,  is  foreign  to 
the  constitution  and  best  interests  of  a  republic. 

In  view  of  these  statements,  the  question  may  be 
asked,  whether  the  author  would  favor  a  political  tenure 
for  army  ofiicers,  and  whether  he  would  advocate  the 
abolition  of  our  schools  of  military  and  naval  instruction 
at  West  Point  and  Annapolis. 

In  reply  to  the  first  question  of  such  a  nature,  he 
would  answer  no,  most  emphatically,  and  he  would  go 
farther  than  this,  and  assert  his  belief  that  there  is 
already  too  much  of  a  political  character  in   the  system 


OBJECTIONS  TO   THE  MILITARY  SYSTEM.  423 

for  the  promotion  of  the  healthfulness  of  the  system 
itself.  The  author  intends  to  offer  some  remarks  upon 
this  point  in  the  ensuing  chapter,  in  further  objection  to 
the  system  of  the  academies,  and  hence  he  defers 
other  comment  upon  it  in  this  place. 

As  to  whether  he  would  advocate  the  abolition  of  the 
system  of  a  trained  soldiery,  his  negative  would  be 
equally  emphatic.  Hamilton  said  that  "war,  like  most 
other  things,  is  a  science  to  be  acquired  and  perfected  by 
diligence,  by  perseverance,  by  time,  and  by  practice."  It 
is  to  be  presumed  that  no  intelligent  person  in  this  age 
will  be  disposed  to  take  issue  with  a  statement  which  the 
experience  of  every  decade  more  strongly  confirms.  But, 
while  none  could  go  farther  than  does  the  author  in 
advocacy  of  preliminary  education  and  training  as  a 
means  to  produce  an  efficient  soldiery,  yet  he  does  not 
believe  that  the  present  system  under  which  military  edu- 
cation is  imparted  by  the  national  institutions  is  the 
system  best  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  American  Repub- 
lic. Upon  the  contrary,  he  believes  it  to  be  restrictive, 
inadequate  to  the  end  of  its  creation,  and  wholly 
un-American  in  nature. 

It  is  restrictive,  because  it  confines  the  benefits  of 
education  and  the  possibilities  of  distinction  to  a  rela- 
tively few  individuals,  whose  selection  for  this  favored 
position  is  made  upon  a  basis  about  as  unfair  as  anything 
could  be. 

It  is  inadequate  to  the  end  of  its  creation  by  reason  of 
the    inopportune    method    of    selecting    the    individuals. 


424  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

The  author  will  endeavor  to  illustrate  this  feature  of  the 
case  in  a  stronger  light  in  the  ensuing  chapter. 

Lastly,  it  is  un-American  in  almost  every  sense.  All 
other  positions  of  honor  and  emolument,  under  our  sys- 
tem of  government,  are  open  to  the  competition  of  every 
individual,  upon  the  basis  of  merit.  There  is  no  hin- 
drance to  any  citizen  in  the  effort  to  reach  the  highest 
offices  of  the  Republic,  if  he  can  demonstrate  in  the 
right  way  that  he  has  a  special  fitness  for  the  position  he 
aspires  to.  The  author  now  more  particularly  refers  to 
young  men  starting  in  life,  though  the  statement  is  gen- 
eral in  application.  As  a  candidate  for  West  Point  or 
Annapolis,  however,  all  questions  of  the  personality  of 
the  applicant  are  out  of  consideration :  literally,  he  may 
be  said  to  be  "in  the  hands  of  his  friends."  The  author 
will  not  further  anticipate,  in  this  place,  the  remarks  he 
designs  to  make  in  the  following  chapter. 

But  the  system  is  most  decidedly  un-American  in 
this  :  that  it  confines  a  knowledge  of  the  military  art  to 
a  comparatively  few  persons,  and  the  legitimate  effects  of 
this  are  bad  in  every  respect.  To  constitute  a  small 
body  of  men  the  sole  military  experts  of  a  nation  is  to 
invest  them  with  a  tremendous  power  for  evil,  should 
they,  in  the  course  of  human  weakness,  ever  see  fit  to  use 
it.  Is  there  a  necessity  for  emphasizing  the  truth  of  such 
a  statement  to  a  people  who,  within  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury past,  have  had  a  practical  demonstration  of  it  applied 
to  their  own  case?  When,  at  the  breaking-out  of  the 
Rebellion,  so  many  of  our  official  army  and  navy  staff, 


THE  S  YS  TEM  IS  UN- A  M ERICA  N.  425 

whom  the  nation  had  been  so  carefully  educating  in  the 
art  of  war,  turned  their  expert  knowledge  and  training 
against  the  Government,  what  would  have  been  the  result 
if  the  absconders  had  succeeded  in  taking  away  from 
their  allegiance  the  faithful  men  who,  in  remaining  loyal 
to  their  country,  covered  themselves  with  never-dying 
fame?  This  band  of  officers,  who  were  not  drawn  from 
their  allegiance  to  pure  republicanism  by  the  allurements 
of  class-distinction,  was  denominated  the  pis  aller  of  the 
Republic — its  last  hope.  Under  the  unwise  system  of 
our  national  academies,  whereby  their  graduates  were 
established  as  the  bulwark  of  the  Government,  and  the 
volunteer  soldier  was  crushed  in  every  aspiration  and 
every  attempt,  that  band  of  loyalists  from  West 
Point  and  Annapolis  largely  deserved  the  designation. 
Had  our  Government  adopted  a  more  liberal  and  a  more 
general  system  of  expert  education,  the  fate  of  the  nation 
would  not  have  hung  as  it  did  upon  the  mere  thread  of 
accident. 

It  has  been  reserved  to  the  present  paragraph  to 
say  that  in  no  sense  is  the  system  more  un-American 
than  in  the  circumstance  of  its  foreign  origin.  Military 
schools  are  of  modern  date,  and  the  idea  of  such  an  insti- 
tution in  America  was  borrowed  entirely  from  European 
example  in  the  last  century,  and  most  particularly  was  it 
borrowed  from  France,  the  military  record  and  career  of 
which  nation,  from  the  year  1792  until  the  fall  of  the 
great  Napoleon  in  the  year  181 5,  need  no  illustration 
from  the  hand  of  the  author  of  the  present  volume. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE  METHOD  OF    APPOINTMENT    TO  WEST    POINT  AND  ANNAP- 
OLIS  ITS    POLITICAL  CHARACTER   AND  USE  AS    POLITICAL 

PATRONAGE A    FORTUNATE    SELECTION    TO    WEST    POINT 

OR  ANNAPOLIS,  UNDER  THE  PRESENT  SYSTEM,  A  MERE 
ACCIDENT STATISTICS  OF  POPULATION,  IN  THEIR  POLIT- 
ICAL BEARING  UPON  CADET  APPOINTMENTS CONSTITU- 
TION   OF    THE    ARMY    AT    THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    CIVIL 

WAR ANIMUS      OF      THE      DESERTING      OFFICERS THE 

HIGH-CLASS  GRADUATES  OF  WEST  POINT MANY  GRADU- 
ATES, BUT  FEW  SOLDIERS INDIVIDUAL  RECORDS STA- 
TISTICAL   RESUME  OF    THE    RESULTS  OF    THE    ACADEMY 

THE    GREAT    NAMES  OF    THE    CIVIL    CONFLICT    UPON    BOTH 

SIDES   THOSE     OF     LOW     CLASSMEN THE    DANGERS    OF    A 

SMALL  MILITARY  CLASS NECESSITY  OF  BROADENING  THE 

MILITARY  SYSTEM. 

THE  worthy  Colonel  Totten,  in  the  report  made  to 
the  Secretary  of  War  in  the  year  1845,  in  refutation 
of  certain  allegations  that  had  pretty  constantly  been 
charged  against  the  West  Point  institution,  a  portion  of 
which  report  is  quoted  in  a  preceding  chapter  of  this  vol- 
ume, adduces  with  a  good  deal  of  display  the  method 
of  cadet  appointment  as  one  of  the  great  merits  of  the 
system.      "The  young  men,"  says  he,  "who  are  appointed 

cadets  or  warrant  officers  are   nominated,   as  has   been 

426 


POLITICAL  CHARACTER  OF  CADET  APPOINTMENT.       427 

mentioned,  by  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, and  are  selected  by  them  from  among  the  sons  of 
men  Hving  in  their  respective  districts,  and  engaged  in 
the  various  pursuits  and  professions  of  the  country,"  etc. 

Now,  this  method  of  appointment,  which  Colonel 
Totten  commends  as  direct  evidence  that  there  is  no 
monopolizing  tendency  connected  with  the  system,  and  as 
indirect  evidence,  it  would  seem,  of  the  fortunate  mode 
of  cadet  appointment,  forms,  in  the  opinion  of  the  author, 
a  very  strong  objection  to  the  national  system,  as  applied 
to  the  Academies  of  West  Point  and  Annapolis  alike.  It 
is  objected  to  by  the  author  for  at  least  three  reasons : 
First,  the  system  is  political  in  character,  and  as  such  it  is 
wholly  unfair;  second,  the  method  pursued  is  inadequate 
to  produce  the  best  results  of  such  institutions  (that  is  to 
say,  that  the  system  fails  to  give  the  best  material  for  the 
development  of  high  military  talent);  and  third,  it  is  not 
the  most  conducive  to  the  safety  of  republican  govern- 
ment. 

Under  the  system  of  appointment  pursued  for  many 
years  past,  each  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
nominates  a  candidate  for  admission  to  each  academy, 
and  the  President  of  the  United  States  possesses  the 
privilege  to  nominate  ten  persons  as  candidates  at  large. 
It  will  hardly  be  claimed  that  this  method  of  appointment  is 
other  than  a  purely  political  one.  Like  any  other  polit- 
ical appointment,  it  is  a  part  of  the  patronage  of  those  to 
whom  it  is  conceded,  and,  without  making  any  personal 
arraignment,  it  may  be  alleged  that  this   has   been    the 


428  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

practical  application  of  the  method.  The  boy  with  an 
influential  father  or  family  connections  has  pretty  gener- 
ally received  the  nomination  regardless  of  the  question  of 
fitness  for  the  career  of  a  soldier  or  sailor.  This  may  be 
stated  without  impugning  the  motives  of  the  Congressman 
or  President  making  an  appointment  to  any  greater  de- 
gree than  attaches  to  the  appointment  of  a  postmaster,  or 
of  any  other  Government  employe.  The  hard  facts  of  the 
American  political  system  are  too  well  fixed  and  widely 
recognized  to  warrant  any  delicacy  in  the  discussion  of 
the  system  itself.  It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  the  present 
volume  to  consider  the  question  whether  the  system  is 
wholly  bad,  as  claimed  by  some,  wholly  good,  as  claimed 
by  others,  or  a  mixture  of  good  and  bad,  as  claimed  by 
others  still.  The  fact  involved  is  what  we  desire  to  reach 
in  the  present  case,  and  it  is  a  fact  not  to  be  gainsaid, 
that  the  present  method  of  appointing  cadets  to  our 
national  academies  is   political  in  theory  and  in  practice. 

So  well  recognized  is  the  truth  of  this  statement,  that 
of  late  years  there  have  been  some  instances  of  Congress- 
men establishing  a  rule  for  their  own  districts,  under 
which  they  have  nominated  the  candidate  who  has  suc- 
ceeded in  passing  the  best  examination  before  a  consti- 
tuted board,  irrespective  of  his  political  connections  or 
family  influence.  This  plan  is  certainly  better  than  that 
under  which  the  Representative  allows  himself  to  select 
his  candidate  indiscriminately  and  in  accordance  with  his 
own  ideas  of  expediency,  but  it  still  fails  to  reach  with 
certainty  the  class  of  youth  which  it  should  be  the  policy 


ILLUSTRATION  FROM  GEN.  A'lLFA  TRICK"  S  CASE.  429 

of  the  system  of  appointment  to  obtain  for  our  army  and 
navy.  Neither  has  the  plan  been  adopted  generally,  and 
if  the  author  is  not  mistaken  in  his  information,  the 
method  alluded  to  is  not  only  not  gaining  ground,  but  is 
rather  upon  the  decline. 

It  is  fortunate  for  the  good  name  of  our  people  that 
the  actual  nominations  have  been  made  generally  under 
the  legitimate  license  of  our  purely  political  system,  and 
that  the  instance  presented  some  years  ago,  of  a  Congress- 
man who  endeavored  to  enforce  payment  of  a  stipulated 
sum  of  money  agreed  upon  as  the  price  of  his  appointing 
power,  stands  alone  in  its  shameless  iniquity. 

The  political  character  of  the  appointing  system  is 
illustrated  under  a  different  phase  by  an  anecdote  of  the 
late  General  Judson  Kilpatrick,  related  by  the  Comte  de 
Paris  in  his  valuable  "History  of  the  Civil  War  of 
America."  Kilpatrick,  when  a  youth  of  eighteen,  desired 
to  enter  West  Point,  but,  having  no  political  friends  to 
secure  the  nomination  for  him,  made  an  agreement  with  a 
candidate  for  the  House  of  Representatives  from  his 
district  in  New  Jersey,  by  which  he  was  to  stump  the 
district  for  the  candidate,  who,  in  case  of  being  elected, 
was  to  nominate  Kilpatrick  to  West  Point.  Young  as  he 
was,  Kilpatrick  rendered  effective  service  in  the  campaign 
and  was  rewarded  with  the  appointment. 

This  same  anecdote,  if  true,  is  instructive  in  another 
sense.  The  youth,  without  prompting  from  family  or 
relations,  had  formed  for  himself  the  determination  to 
become  a  soldier,  thus  evincing  natural  predisposition  for 


430  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

the  career.  His  subsequent  record  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebelhon  as  a  brave  and  briUiant  commander,  though  he 
had  no  high-class  standing  at  West  Point,  is  strongly  con- 
firmatory of  one  of  the  points  made  by  the  author  in  the 
present  chapter  in  reference  to  a  selection  of  military 
pupils  based  upon  inherent  aptitude,  to  the  exclusion  of 
selection  by  political  favoritism. 

It  has  been  stated  by  many  great  military  authorities 
that  no  degree  of  scholastic  education  and  training  can 
make  a  distinguished  soldier  of  a  man  who  has  not  the 
inherent  qualifications  of  a  soldier.  The  same  statement 
has  been  made  more  than  once  in  the  present  volume. 
Evidently,  then,  the  calling  of  a  military  life  requires  a 
qualification  that  can  never  be  reached,  except  as  an  acci- 
dent, through  a  selection  made  under  political  methods. 
This  objection  is  so  potent  of  itself  that  it  should  have 
caused  the  abandonment  of  the  system  of  appointment 
lonof  aoro.  But  there  is  a  twin-evil  connected  with  this 
phase  of  the  matter  that  is,  perhaps,  as  pernicious  to  the 
healthy  results  of  the  system  as  is  that  just  dwelt  upon. 

This  may  be  explained  as  follows :  The  cadet 
appointment  being  entirely  a  result  of  party  politics,  as  has 
been  shown,  the  political  predominance  of  each  class  of 
cadets  will  very  accurately  correspond  with  the  political 
predominance  of  each  House  of  Representatives  under 
which  they  receive  appointments.  The  one  is  but  the 
shadow  of  the  other.  This  state  of  affairs,  in  the  practical 
aspect,  was  well  illustrated  in  the  very  institutions  now 
being  treated  of  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Southern  Rebellion. 


COMMENTS  UPON  TABLES  TWO  AND  THREE.  43  I 

If  the  reader  will  turn  to  page  244  of  the  present  vol- 
ume and  consider  carefully  the  tabular  statement  there 
presented,  marked  II.,  he  will  be  able  to  make  several 
interesting  deductions,  all  of  which  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  refer  to  in  the  present  connection,  but  that  which  the 
author  desires  to  comment  upon  for  the  purpose  now  in  view 
is  to  be  considered  in  connection  with  the  tabular  state- 
ment to  be  found  on  page  245,  marked  III.  The  first  of 
these  tables,  as  will  be  seen,  furnishes  a  numerical  compar- 
ison of  the  slaveholding  and  non-slaveholding  States  of  the 
Union,  compiled  from  the  censuses  of  18 10  and  i860,  the 
latter  being  the  year  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebel- 
lion. The  second  table  presents  a  substantially  complete 
statement  of  the  total  number  of  cadets  admitted  to  West 
Point,  with  the  States  from  which  they  were  appointed, 
from  the  year  1802,  when  the  institution  was  formall)^ 
established,  to  the  beginning  of  the  Rebellion,  in  1861. 

Referring  to  table  II.,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the 
total  population  of  the  slaveholding  States  in  the  year 
i860  was  12,240,293.  The  table  will  show  that  the  total 
population  of  the  non-slaveholding  States  in  the  same 
year  (i860)  was  18,977,728,  or  6,737,435  (roughly 
stated,  nearly  one-fourth)  more  than  the  population  of 
the  Southern  States.  Table  III.  will  show  that  dur- 
ing the  life  of  the  Military  Academy  up  to  the  period 
named,  viz.,  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  there  had 
been  admitted  a  total  of  4,438  cadets  ;  that  of  this 
number  there  were  appointed  from  the  non-slaveholding 
States  2,278;    and  from  the  slaveholding  States,   2,126^ 


432 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


Including  those  from  the  District  of  Columbia  and  those 
appointed  by  the  executive,  no  account  being  made  of 
those  appointed  from  the  Territories,  eight  in  number,  nor 
of  the  twenty-six  whose  States  of  residence  are  marked 
unknown  in  the  table.  The  main  point  of  the  present 
illustrations  being  to  show,  not  only  the  numbers  of  those 
appointed  from  the  Southern  States,  who,  having  been 
appointed  by  Southern  Democrats,  were  necessarily  of 
Democratic  politics  -also,  but  likewise  the  number  of 
those  appointed  from  the  non-slaveholding  States  Demo- 
cratic in  politics,  the  author  has  deemed  it  fair  to  include 
in  the  number  of  Southern  appointments  the  total  quota 
of  appointments  at  large,  for  the  obvious  reason  that 
for  a  greater  portion  of  the  whole  period  the  Demo- 
cratic party  administered  the  Government,  and  that  dur- 
ing the  entire  period  from  1802  to  1861  the  influence 
of  the  South  controlled  the  Government  In  all  its  oper- 
ations. 

Upon  the  basis  above  stated,  without  taking  fractions 
into  account,  the  Southern  States  had  sent  to  the  Mili- 
tary Academy  one  cadet  for  every  5,757  of  their  entire 
population,  while  the  Northern  States  had  sent  only  one 
cadet  for  every  8,330  of  their  whole  population.  If  it  be 
objected,  however,  that  it  would  be  unjust  to  charge  all  of 
the  appointments  at  large  to  the  Southern  States,  the 
showing  would  still  be  largely  in  favor  of  the  latter. 
Excluding  these  appointments,  there  would  still  be  left  to 
the  debit  of  those  States  1,819  cadet  appointments, 
which,  without  computing  the  fraction,  would  make  one 


STATISTICS  OF  STATE  POPULATION.  433 

appointment  to  every  6,729  of  the  population,  as  against 
one  to  every  8,330  from  the  Northern  States. 

It  is  not  pretended  that  these  estimates  are  critically 
accurate,  because  the  same  ratio  of  discrepancy  of  popu- 
lation between  the  two  sections  has  not  precisely  existed 
through  each  year  of  the  half  century  between  18 10  and 
i860.  Thus  in  18 10  the  population  of  the  Northern 
States  only  exceeded  that  of  the  Southern  States  by 
some  302,043  inhabitants,  while  in  i860  the  population  of 
the  former  exceeded  that  of  the  latter  by  some  6,737,435 
inhabitants.  While,  therefore,  the  estimate  is  faulty  in 
this  respect,  yet  the  statement  illustrates  with  suf^cient 
accuracy  the  points  which  the  author  is  endeavoring  to 
bring  out  in  this  connection.  The  first  of  these  points 
is  the  political  nature  of  the  cadet  appointment,  which 
under  our  present  system  —  and  the  same  is  true  of  that 
of  the  past,  when  the  nomination  came  direct  from  the 
executive  —  makes  the  majority  of  the  appointments  to 
West  Point  and  Annapolis  to  follow  the  political  char- 
acter of  the  appointing  authority.  The  second  point  is 
the  long  preponderance  of  the  Southern  over  the  North- 
ern States  of  the  Union,  the  apprehended  interruption  to 
which  preponderance  in  i860  furnished  the  South  a  pre- 
text for  revolution,  and  the  sons  that  she  had  sent  to  West 
Point  and  Annapolis  the  opportunity  to  turn  the  knowl- 
edge received  from  the  Government  against  it. 

The  foregoing  illustration  of  the  political  character  of 
the  cadet-appointment  to  West  Point  and  to  Annapolis 
brings  into  bold  relief,  as  the  author  believes,  the  per- 


434  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

nicious  nature  of  the  appointing  system.  Nearly  one-half 
of  the  entire  admissions  to  West  Point  for  nearly  sixty 
years  was  composed  of  representatives  of  the  South  and 
of  the  Democratic  party,  loyal  to  the  leading  principle  upon 
which  that  party  was  constructed,  viz.:  the  legitimacy  of 
slavery.  Upon  the  election  of  a  Republican  President,  the 
vSouthern  leaders  persisted  in  construing  the  significance 
of  that  election  as  an  attack  upon  the  institution  of 
slavery  with  a  deep-settled  purpose  to  abolish  it.  The 
army  at  that  time  was  crowded  with  Southern  representa- 
tives, who,  forgetting  country,  went  into  what  was  openly 
declared  to  be,  by  its  Southern  projectors,  a  political 
war.  Had  there  always  been  a  non-political  system  of 
appointment  to  West  Point  and  Annapolis,  there  would 
have  existed  a  higher  tone  and  a  broader  scope  of  mind 
among  the  army  and  navy  officials,  which  would  have 
saved  the  country  from  the  terrible  disasters  that  befell  it 
during  the  struggle  lasting  from  1861  to  1865. 

Bad  as  was  and  is  the  appointment  system,  however^ 
there  were  men  that  had  received  their  military  or  naval 
education  under  it  who,  when  the  question  of  sustaining 
the  creeds  of  a  party  or  the  fancied  rights  of  a  section  at 
the  expense  of  their  united  country  was  presented  to 
them,  rose  to  the  full  altitude  of  patriotism  and  proved 
themselves  to  be  happy  accidents  under  an  unfortunate 
system.  Lucky,  indeed,  was  it  for  the  perpetuity  of  the 
Republic  that  such  men  as  Grant,  and  Sherman,  and 
Sheridan,  and  many  others  —  accidents  of  the  system  — 
were  not  only   born   soldiers,  but  that  they  were  broad 


THE  POLITICS  OF  THE  ARMY. 


43. 


enough  of  mind  and  republican  enough  of  principle  to 
rise  above  party  and  its  associations,  and  to  cast  their 
strength  to  the  support  of  country  and  of  freedom. 

A  writer  in  The  Nation,  in  the  number  for  March  29, 
1866,  denies  the  hostility  of  West  Point,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Rebellion,  which  has  been  constantly  charged  upon 
it.  He  remarks  that  "the  graduates  failed  to  compre- 
hend the  political  situation.  Almost  everywhere  in  it 
(the  army)  were  still  current  the  same  ideas  about  the 
sacredness  of  slavery,  the  same  cant  about  the  evils  of 
agitation,  the  same  classification  of  secessionists  and  anti- 
slavery  men  as  alike  disunionists,"  etc.  The  writer  is 
entirely  correct  as  to  the  general  currency  in  the  army  of 
the  idea  of  the  sacredness  of  slavery,  but  it  is  hardly  pos- 
sible that  any  believer  in  the  sacredness  of  slavery  failed 
to  comprehend  the  political  situation.  It  would  have 
been  ^ar  better  for  the  country  and  for  the  noble  volunteer 
soldiery  who  were  called  in  to  settle  the  question  at  issue 
between  the  sections  had  the  army  ignored  the  political 
situation  entirely  and  held  itself  in  readiness  to  obey  the 
higher,  nobler  call  of  country. 

But  there  was  a  curious  anomaly  about  this  matter  of 
the  politics  of  the  army  which  furnishes  the  author  the 
unusual  opportunity  to  attack  the  system  of  cadet-appoint- 
ment from  both  sides  of  the  same  question.  The  side 
which  views  the  appointee  as  a  mere  political  favorite 
owing  his  position  to  partisanship  has  just  been  consid- 
ered and  condemned  because  of  its  tendency  to  fill  the 
army  with  mere  politicians  to  the  exclusion  of  genuine 


436  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

soldiers.  The  author  now  desires  to  indulge  in  an  ap- 
parent paradox  and  to  reprobate  the  system  of  appoint- 
ment because  there  is  no  politics  in  the  army  and  navy. 

It  is  one  of  the  prime  duties  of  all  citizens  of  the 
Republic  to  become  thoroughly  conversant  with  every 
question  of  a  political  nature  affecting  the  well-being  of 
their  country,  as  upon  an  intelligent  knowledge  of  all 
public  subjects  depends  the  value  of  a  man  in  the  dis- 
charge of  the  prerogatives  of  citizenship.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  potent  objections  to  a  life-tenure  of  office  in  a 
republic  that  it  tends  to  withdraw  the  interest  of  the  indi- 
vidual vested  with  the  tenure  from  all  questions  connected 
with  the  politico-economic  affairs  of  his  government.  His 
own  position  in  life  is  assured  to  him  without  further  effort 
upon  his  part,  and,  the  stimulus  of  personal  benefit  which 
so  strongly  promotes  human  activity  being  withdrawn 
from  the  direction  of  public  affairs,  he  is  apt  to  become 
indifferent  to  obligations  of  the  first  importance  to  his 
country.  As  the  army  or  naval  officer  once  fairly  in  the 
service  of  the  Government  possesses  the  consciousness,  as 
heretofore  stated,  that  even  within  very  broad  limits  he  is 
wholly  beyond  the  reach  of  individual  politicians  and 
political  parties,  it  might  be  inferred  as  a  natural  conse- 
quence that  he  would  soon  or  late  lose  his  interest  in 
everything  connected  with  state  affairs  which  has  no 
bearing  direct  or  indirect  upon  the  narrow  circle  of  which 
he  is  a  constituent.  Do  we  find  that  the  actual  fact  bears 
out  the  inference  in  practical  operation  ?  A  writer  in  The 
Natiofi  for  March  15,  1866,  in  commenting  upon  the  army 


THE  ARMY  NOT  WELL-Ii\FORMED. 


43; 


as  a  class,  says  "they  are  not  well-informed,  nor  liberal- 
minded  ; "  thus  reaching  farther  than  the  limit  of  the 
inference  just  suggested.  The  same  writer  asserts  that 
"many  clergymen  are  bred  at  this  school  for  soldiers" 
(West  Point).  Apart,  however,  from  all  this,  the  author 
believes  it  to  be  a  fact  that  as  a  class  the  American  army 
and  naval  officers  take  but  little  interest  in  the  political 
affairs  of  their  country  ;  that  but  few  of  them  have  any 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  great  issues  dividing  the  chief 
parties,  as  that  of  the  currency,  of  the  tariff,  of  our  exter- 
nal and  internal  commercial  relations,  etc.;  that  they 
seldom  exercise  the  privilege  of  the  elective  franchise  ;  and 
that  many  of  them,  especially  the  naval  officers,  who  spend 
so  large  a  part  of  their  lives  in  foreign  waters,  never  vote 
at  all. 

Now  all  of  this  is  wrong,  assuming  the  statement  to 
be  true  as  above  made.  No  individual,  nor  group  or 
class  of  individuals,  not  disqualified  under  the  laws,  should 
be  withdrawn  from  the  weight  of  responsibility  which  the 
functions  of  citizenship  entail.  Citizenship  under  a  gov- 
ernment that  is  administered  by  the  whole  people,  and  not 
by  the  select  few,  carries  with  it  obligations  as  well  as 
privileges.  The  latter  of  these  should  never  be  renounced, 
the  former  never  evaded. 

In  view  of  this  statement  the  question  may  be  asked, 
how  are  these  different  positions  to  be  reconciled ;  how 
does  it  happen  that  politics  was  supreme  in  the  army 
and  navy  in  1861,  while  the  charge  is  made  and  sus- 
tained at  the  same  time    that  the  system    under   which 


438  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

the  officers  of  those  bodies  are  created  has  the  effect 
to  withdraw  them  from  all  interest  in  political  affairs, 
and  therefore  is  detrimental  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
country?  The  reply  to  such  a  query  is  not  difficult 
to  find.  The  question  of  slavery  was  political  in  character 
beyond  doubt,  but  it  was  vastly  more  than  that.  It  was 
a  subject  that  entwined  itself  with  the  domestic  and  social 
relations  of  the  people  among  whom  it  existed ;  it  was  the 
foundation-stone  upon  which  their  class-aspirations  were 
built.  It  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  the  statements  made 
in  preceding  pages  which  relate  to  the  subject  of  slavery 
in  its  caste  or  class  aspects.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  the 
army  and  navy  officers  who  defaulted  in  their  trust  in  the 
year  1861  had  no  basis  whatever  upon  which  to  found 
a  strictly  political  excuse  for  their  action.  They  cared 
nothing  for  other  questions  of  government,  and  as  an  ab- 
stract issue  of  national  policy  they  cared  as  little  for  the 
institution  of  slavery.  Their  whole  interest  in  the  latter  was 
centered  in  another  aspect  of  the  subject  much  farther- 
reaching  in  consequences  than  its  extension  in  a  purely  polit- 
ical direction,  covering  effects  relating  only  to  the  national 
economy.  Such  of  them  as  were  graduates  of  West  Point 
or  Annapolis  had  primarily  received  the  appointment  to 
those  institutions  through  the  machinery  of  party  politics, 
but  once  having  entered  the  service  they  became  as  obliv- 
ious to  the  questions  of  party  in  detail  as  those  who  fol- 
low them  under  the  same  system  to  a  life-tenure  under 
the  Government. 

Hence,  it  may  be  said  that  the  system  of  appointment 


INADEQUACY  OF  THE  MILITARY  SYSTEM.  439 

is  to  be  condemned  because  it  involves  the  simple  ques- 
tion of  politics  for  admission  into  the  national  academies ; 
and  it  is  further  to  be  condemned  because,  when  once 
the  officer  is  made,  the  system,  in  its  extension,  strongly 
tends  to  strip  him  of  his  value  as  a  simple  citizen  and 
elector  of  the  Republic.  But  can  a  system  be  devised 
that  may  obviate  this  political  defect?  The  author 
believes  that  one  can  be,  and  in  the  subsequent  pages  he 
will  have  some  suggestions  to  offer  upon  this  important 
subject. 

Thus  much  for  the  first  or  political  objection  which 
the  author  has  to  make  against  the  national  system  of 
appointment  to  the  Military  and  Naval  Academies.  The 
second  of  the  objections  presented  relates  to  its  inade- 
quacy in  the  production  of  the  best  results  to  the  nation. 
A  late  writer,  in  reiterating  a  well-established  truth,  has 
forcibly  said  that  "education  can  develop  ability,  but 
never  take  the  place  of  it.  It  may  make  a  soldier,  but  it 
cannot  make  a  general."  Now,  then,  what  shall  be  said 
of  a  system  of  general-making  —  for  that  is  what  all  mili- 
tary systems  should  aim  at — which  wholly  ignores  the 
first  principle  upon  which  military  education  should  be 
based,  viz.:  the  selection  of  the  material  which,  under 
the  developing  influence  of  education,  may  be  molded 
into  a  standard  of  usual  or,  perhaps,  of  exceptional  excel- 
lence? No  pretense  can  be  made  that  the  present  and 
past  systems  of  appointment  to  these  academies  have 
any  reference  whatever  to  the  requisite  qualification 
which   should    precede    all    others    in    the   selection    of 


440  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

young  men  to  be  developed  into  officers,  and  who  shall 
be  competent  to  lead  to  victory  that  most  invincible 
of  all  soldiers  —  the  Afnerican  volunteer!  Under  the 
operation  of  our  exclusively  political  system  of  appoint- 
ment, those  young  men  are  presented  as  candidates  for 
entry  into  the  academies  who  are  able,  through  the 
influence  of  friends,  to  obtain  nominations  from  the  Con- 
gressmen of  the  districts  in  which  they  live,  or  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States  direct.  That  is  the 
essence  of  the  whole  matter.  All  must  admit  it  to  be  a 
very  imperfect  method  in  this  progressive  age. 

This  reasoning,  which  may  be  considered  only  a 
priori  in  character,  is  amply  vindicated  by  the  results  of 
the  ex  post  facto  experience.  No  more  forcible  testimony 
could  be  appealed  to  than  the  record  of  the  institution 
now  under  chief  scrutiny.  With  a  view  of  interrogating 
that  record,  the  author  has  presented  the  table  upon  page 
246,  marked  IV.,  which  gives  the  individual  position 
of  every  graduate  of  the  four  highest  classes,  from  the 
year  1802  to  the  year  1861  inclusive.  If  any  young  man 
with  sufficient  education  to  pass  a  very  ordinary  examina- 
tion in  the  rudimentary  English  branches  may  be  edu- 
cated into  a  successful  soldier  after  a  prescribed  course  of 
study  in  mathematics,  engineering,  and  the  other  branches 
forming  part  of  the  curriculum  at  West  Point,  then,  mani- 
festly, the  graduates  with  the  highest  class-standing  should 
be  those  who  would  become  most  distinguished  in  the 
practical  exercise  of  the  military  profession. 

The  table  presented  by  the  author  will  not  only  afl^ord 


WEST  POINT  MAKES  FEW  SOLDIERS.  44 1 

much  interesting  information  to  the  general  reader,  but 
will  yield,  also,  much  matter  for  careful  reflection.  The 
point  which  it  is  now  the  purpose  to  draw  out  is  that 
which  illustrates  the  results  of  the  attempt  to  make  sol- 
diers by  the  process  of  mere  education. 

In  the  first  place,  let  the  reader,  through  the  various 
works,  ^  biographical  and  others,  that  may  serve  to  show 
the  subsequent  career  of  each  graduate  of  the  highest 
class-standing,  as  given  in  the  table,  follow  the  history  of 
the  whole  number.  One  of  the  first  surprises  which  must 
attend  such  an  operation  will  embrace  the  reflection  that 
the  institution,  in  all  the  years  of  its  work,  has  made, 
comparatively  speaking,  an  infinitesimal  number  of  sol- 
diers. It  has  sent  from  its  halls  professors  and  teachers 
by  the  score ;  it  has  furnished  to  the  country  lawyers  and 
preachers,  bank  presidents,  officers  of  insurance  com- 
panies, engineers  (for  public  and  private  works)  in  abund- 
ance, etc.,  etc.;  but  there  is  not  a  prominent  university  in 
the  country  of  which  the  same  cannot  be  said.  What  we 
expect  of  a  military  school  is  that  it  shall  make  expert 
military  men. 

Though  an  investigation,  such  as  suggested,  into  the 
subsequent  history  of  all  the  graduates  whose  names  are 
given  in  the  table,  would  occupy  too  much  space  for  the 
scope  of  the  present  volume,  a  brief  mention  of  the  heads 
of  the  first  classes  will  sufficiently  subserve  the  author's 
present   purpose.     The  table,   as  will  be  noticed,  begins 


^One  of  the  best  of  these  is  the  work  of  G.  W.  Cullum,  heretofore  mentioned 
in  these  pages. 


442  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

with  the  year  1802,  and  the  first  graduate  of  the  Institu- 
tion presents  so  favorable  an  opportunity  in  his  history 
and  relations  for  illustrating  the  author's  subject,  in  more 
than  one  of  its  branches,  that  he  is  unwilling  that  it 
should  be  lost.  This  graduate  of  the  institution  was 
General  Joseph  G.  Swift,  who  received  the  honor  of 
being  its  first  alumitus  in  October,  1802.  General, 
then  Lieutenant,  Swift  entered  the  engineer  corps,  of 
course,  as  pretty  much  all  of  his  successors  have  tried  to 
do,  and,  excepting  the  period  of  his  service  as  superin- 
tendent of  the  Academy,  his  time  was  chiefly  spent  in 
engineer  work,  principally  about  New  York  City. 
Though  he  possessed  an  experience  of  ten  years  as  a  mili- 
tary of^cer  when  the  War  of  18 12  came  into  the  country, 
General  Swift,  the  West  Pointer,  made  no  distinguishing 
mark  as  an  of^cer  in  the  field,  though  as  an  engineer  his 
service  was  highly  honorable.  Fortunately  for  the  coun- 
try General  Joseph  Swift  had  a  brother,  John  Swift,  who, 
during  that  war,  without  a  West  Point  education,  had 
been  made  a  brigadier-general  of  New  York  volunteers. 
The  volunteer  General  rendered  most  brilliant  service 
to  the  country  as  an  officer  in  the  field,  and  after  a 
successful  campaign  in  Upper  Canada,  during  which  he 
succeeded  in  cutting  off  an  important  picket  of  the  Brit- 
ish, he  lost  his  life  upon  the  field  of  battle.  The  case  of 
these  two  brothers  is  instructive,  even  after  this  lapse  of 
time.  The  regular  West  Point  officer,  who  evidently 
had  no  inspiration  for  a  successful  military  career,  passed 
his  life  in  a  service  for  which  he  would  have  been  as  well 


RECORDS  OF  HIGH  CLASSMEN.  443 

fitted  by  special  education  received  from  an  appropriate 
civil  institution,  while  his  brother,  a  simple  volunteer, 
undoubtedly  possessed  that  inherent  something,  hereto- 
fore referred  to  in  preceding  pages,  which  made  him  a 
brilHant  soldier  without  the  aid  of  the  conventional  aca- 
demic education.  This  strong  contrast  between  the  col- 
lege-made soldier  and  the  soldier  fashioned  by  the  hand 
of  nature  has  been  witnessed  in  the  history  of  our  country 
many  times  since. 

The  subject  is  of  a  public  character,  and  a  warrant  for 
considering  \\\^  personnel  oi  the  table  is  thereby  afforded 
us,  freed  from  the  reserve  belonging  to  private  life  and 
acts.  Let  us  scrutinize  it,  then,  and  endeavor  to  learn 
whatever  good  lesson  it  may  teach. 

General  Joseph  G.  Swift,  the  first  graduate  of  the 
institution,  in  1802,  as  has  been  said,  was  an  accomplished 
engineer  and  teacher  of  mathematics.  Apart  from  work 
of  this  kind,  he  appears  to  have  had  but  one  experience 
in  actual  battle,  in  181 2,  and  it  is  certain  that  he  made  no 
distinctive  mark  as  a  military  leader.  In  18 18  he 
resigned  from  the  army  to  accept  civil  appointments. 

Samuel  Gates,  of  the  class  of  1804,  resigned  from  the 
army  in  less  than  eighteen  months,  and  has  left  no  mili- 
tary record. 

G.  Bomford,  of  the  class  of  1805,  invented  the 
**  Columbiad,"  thereby  advancing  the  military  interest, 
though  he  made  no  special  mark  as  a  military  leader. 

William  Gates,  of  the  class  of  1806,  rendered  long  and 
honorable  military  service. 


444  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  1807  saw  service  in  181 2  and 
was  "disbanded"  in  18 15. 

The  head  man  of  1808  served  in  the  War  of  181 2  and 
resigned  in  181 5  to  become  a  lawyer  in  the  City  of 
Washington. 

The  first  graduate  of  1809  was  in  the  War  of  181 2,  but 
resigned  from  the  army  in  18 16. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  181 1  was  killed  in  battle  the 
following  year. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  181 2  met  a  frightful  death  at 
the  hands  of  the  Indians. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  18 13  left  the  service  in  six 
years  without  special  military  record. 

The  head  in   18 14  saw  honorable  military  service  and 
was  killed  in  1835. 

The  head  in  18 15  left  the  service  the  following  year 
without  military  record. 

The  head  in  181 7  had  no  special  military  history. 

The  head  graduate  of   18 18  saw  some  military  service. 

The  leader  of  18 19  was  an  engineer  officer,  and  spent 
his  life  at  different  army  posts. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1820  saw  engineer  service  and 
left  no  distinctive  military  record. 

The  head  classman  of  1 821  was  a  teacher  until  1834^ 
when  he  left  the  army  to  become  a  teacher  in  civil  life. 

The  head  man  of  1822  had  a  simple  engineer  record, 
and  did  not  go  to  the  Mexican  Wan 

The  honor  graduate  of  1823  saw  service  only  as  an 
engineer  and  professor,  and  when  his  country  needed  his 


A'£COAVJS  OF  JJEAD  CLASSMEN. 


445 


services  to  aid  in  suppressing  the  Rebellion  he  quietly 
resigned  from  the  army,  in  1861,  after  having  received 
the  support  of  the  Government  for  nearly  forty  years. 

The  head  of  the  graduating  class  of  1825  resigned 
from  the  army  within  a  period  of  four  years,  and  though 
subsequently  achieving  distinction  in  civil  life  as  an  engi- 
neer and  chief  of  the  coast  survey,  he  is  u^ithout  any  mili- 
tary record. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1826  became  a  teacher  of 
mathematics  and  has  left  no  military  record. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  1827  served  in  the  Mexican 
War,  as  well  as  in  the  first  part  of  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, resigning  from  the  service  in  1864.  He  reached  the 
brevet  rank  of  colonel. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1828  spent  his  life  as  a  pro- 
fessor of  mathematics,  and  became  the  author  of  several 
books  on  geometry.      He  had  no  military  record. 

The  cadet  who  heads  the  class  of  1829,  of  which 
Robert  E.  Lee  was  second,  resigned  from  the  engineer 
corps  in  two  years  after  graduating ;  he  then  became  a 
lawyer,  and,  subsequently,  an  editor.  He  has  no  military 
record. 

The  graduate  who  carried  off  the  honors  of  the  year 
1830  was  the  son  of  the  first  alumnus  of  the  Military 
Academy.  His  acquirements  as  an  engineer  gave  him  an 
honorable  record  in  the  planning  and  construction  of 
military  works.  His  only  military  experience  was  at  the 
siege  of  Vera  Cruz,  where  his  engineering  services  were 


446  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

of  a  valuable  nature.  Apart  from  this,  he  has  left  no 
military  record. 

The  head  of  the  graduating  class  of  1831  resigned 
from  the  service  within  two  years  after  graduation.  He 
then  studied  divinity,  entered  the  ministry,  and  became  a 
distinguished  clergyman,  devoting  his  life  to  the  church. 
He  had  no  military  record. 

The  head  classman  of  1832  was  in  one  engagement  of 
the  Florida  War.  He  resigned  from  the  army  within 
four  years  after  graduation  to  engage  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits.     He  is  without  military  record. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  1833  spent  his  life  as  an 
engineer  and  as  an  instructor.  He  saw  no  service  in  the 
Mexican  War,  which  occurred  during  his  period,  and, 
dying  before  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  he  has  left 
no  military  record.  It  may  be  remarked,  en  passant,  that 
Francis  H.  Smith,  who  graduated  No.  50  in  the  same 
class,  devoted  the  education  bestowed  upon  him  to  the 
attempted  destruction  of  the  Union. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1834  spent  the  most  of  his 
career  in  the  engineer  service,  though  he  saw  some 
service  in  Mexico,  where  he  received  a  brevet  rank. 

The  head  man  of  1835  resigned  from  the  service  in 
two  years,  but  reentered  the  army  during  the  Rebellion, 
and  rendered  honorable  service. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1836  saw  no  military  service 
proper,  though  his  career  covered  the  period  of  the  Mexi- 
can War.  His  services  were  rendered  in  an  engineering 
capacity. 


RECORDS  OF  HEAD  CLASSMEN. 


447 


H.  W.  Benham,  the  laureate  of  1837,  forms  the  first 
example  in  the  list  of  a  highly  distinguished  soldier.  The 
record  shows  that  there  was  no  mistake  of  a  vocation  for 
this  pupil.  He  has  no  history  as  an  engineer  officer 
kept  stationed  by  the  influence  of  friends  in  the  ''society 
places."  His  career  was  purely  military,  while  his  record 
in  the  Mexican  War  and  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion, 
during  which  latter  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  brevet  major- 
general  of  the  Union  army,  was  most  honorable  to  him 
as  an  accomplished  soldier. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  1838  affords  another  instance 
of  the  engineer  officer.  His  career  extended  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Mexican  War.  He  has  left  no  military 
record. 

The  head  man  of  1839,  I-  I*  Stevens,  presents  another 
cheering  example  of  a  prize  in  the  cadet  lottery.  He  dis- 
tinguished himself  to  such  an  extent  in  Mexico  that  Gen- 
eral Scott  pronounced  him  to  be  "the  most  promising 
officer  of  his  age  ;"  and  this,  it  may  be  remarked,  was  said 
at  the  moment  Ulysses  S.  Grant  was  also  serving  as  a 
young  officer  in  Scott's  army.  Between  the  close  of  the 
Mexican  War  and  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  Stevens 
rendered  many  public  services.  During  the  War  of  Seces- 
sion he  threw  the  whole  weight  of  his  superior  military 
talent  and  fine  education  to  the  support  of  his  imperiled 
country,  for  which  he  gave  up  his  life  upon  the  field  of 
battle.     He  rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general. 

The  head  man  of  1840  chills  the  hope  beginning  to 
grow  from  the  example  of  Stevens.     This  honor  graduate 


448  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

passed  the  next  five  years  of  his  Hfe  as  an  engineer  and 
assistant  professor  at  West  Point.  He  then  resigned 
from  the  army,  but  was  reappointed  toward  the  close  of 
hostihties  in  Mexico,  though  he  saw  some  service  during 
the  final  scenes.  He  again  resigned  and  became  a  planter 
in  Louisiana,  his  native  State,  of  which  he  subsequently 
became  governor.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  he 
turned  his  education  against  his  country,  and  with  his  fel- 
low-rebels sought  to  destroy  it. 

The  first  graduate  of  1841,  Zebulon  B.  Tower,  again 
furnishes  an  agreeable  exception  to  the  regime  of  the 
dilettant  engineer  officer.  He  served  with  honor  in 
Mexico  and  rendered  distinguished  service  during  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  in  which  he  won  the  rank  of 
major-general. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  1842  became  a  professor  of 
engineering  in  Harvard  University.  At  the  outbreak  of 
the  Rebellion,  however,  he  entered  the  Union  army  and 
won  the  rank  of  brigadier-general. 

The  list  is  further  illuminated  by  the  career  of  the 
head  graduate  of  1843,  W.  B.  Franklin,  who  distinguished 
himself  in  Mexico  and  achieved  high  rank  in  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion. 

The  head  man  of  1844  has  no  distinctive  military 
record.  He  was  an  engineer  officer  in  the  Fremont  expe- 
dition and  a  professor  of  mathematics  at  West  Point. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1845  deserted  his  country 
in  its  hour  of  peril.  He  was  in  temporary  command 
during  Terry's  successful  assault  on  Fort  Fisher ;  he  was 


RECORDS  OF  HEAD  CLASSMEiV.  449 

wounded  in  the  fight,  and  subsequently  died  in  a  Union 
hospital. 

The  head  man  of  1846  has  left  a  good  military  record. 

The  honor  graduate  of  1847  resigned  from  the  army 
after  the  firing  upon  Fort  Sumter,  just  when  his  country 
needed  his  services. 

The  honor  man  of  1848  resigned  from  the  army  in 
1856  and  has  left  no  military  record. 

The  head  of  the  class  of  1849  presents  another  ex- 
ample of  the  oasis  in  the  desert.  The  gallant  and 
valuable  services  of  General  Q.  A.  Gilmore  during  the 
Rebellion  are  well  known.  He  richly  merited  the  rank  of 
major-general,  which  he  won. 

The  first  graduate  of  1850,  F.  E.  Prime,  won  distinc- 
tion during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  leader  of  1851,  G.  L.  Andrews,  demonstrated  his 
military  ability  throughout  the  Rebellion.  His  services 
were  most  valuable  and  won  for  him  the  rank  of  brevet 
major-general  of  volunteers. 

The  honor  man  of  1852,  T.  L.  Casey,  also  rendered 
good  service  during  the  Rebellion  and  won  a  brevet 
rank. 

The  class  of  1853  is  headed  by  the  ever-to-be-lamented 
James  B.  McPherson,  who  combined  fine  scholarship  with 
an  inborn  military  genius,  and  thus  was  constituted  an 
ideal  soldier.  He  died  all  too  soon  for  his  own  glory  and 
for  his  country's  good.  With  no  academic  training  what- 
ever, McPherson  would  still  have  been  a  great  soldier. 

The  head  of  the  class  of   1854  gave  his  class-standing, 


450  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

which  was  all  he  had  of  the  soldier,  to  the  service  of  th^ 
Southern  Confederacy. 

From  this  point  to  the  year  1861,  embracing  seven 
graduating  classes,  there  is  presented  an  unbroken  line  of 
soldiers  who  proved  themselves  not  only  true  to  their 
country,  but  —  in  varying  degrees  —  capable  military 
men.  There  is  no  quasi-civilian  in  the  list  constituted  of 
the  names  of  C.  B.  Comstock,  G.  W.  Snyder  (killed  at 
Manassas),  J.  C.  Palfrey,  W.  C.  Paine  (disabled  in  1863), 
W.  E.  Merrill,  W.  McFarland,  and  H.  A.  Du  Pont. 

With  the  foregoing  list  of  names  and  the  data  accom- 
panying it,  the  reader  will  be  able  to  draw  his  own  deduc- 
tions. The  list  prior  to  the  year  1825  — when  the  table 
of  Captain  Boynton  begins — has  less  interest  in  illustra- 
tion of  the  present  subject  than  has  that  portion  of  it 
covering  the  subsequent  period.  Some  of  the  graduates 
of  the  Academy  between  the  years  1802  and  1824  saw 
actual  service  either  in  the  War  of  181 2  or  in  subordinate 
conflicts  with  the  Indians;  some  few  saw  service  in  Mex- 
ico, and  a  very  few  remained  attached  to  the  army  up  to 
the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  as,  for  example,  Jos.  G.  Totten, 
H.  W.  Brewerton,  and  G.  S.  Greene.  Many  of  them 
resigned  from  the  army  either  immediately  upon  gradua- 
tion or  at  varying  periods  afterward.  A  large  number 
spent  their  lives  in  engineer  service,  or  in  teaching  at 
West  Point.  Many  others,  availing  themselves  of  the 
Government  education,  became  engineers  or  teachers  of 
mathematics  in  civil  life ;  others  became  practicing  law- 
yers ;  a  few  studied  medicine  and  became  practicing  physi- 


GENERAL  REVIEW  OF  THE  LIST. 


45  f 


cians;  one  at  least  (A.  Mordecai,  class  of  1823)  lived  upon 
the  Government  for  more  than  forty  years,  and  then 
deserted  it  upon  the  approach  of  the  dread  crisis  of  1861. 
What  will  most  strike  the  reader  upon  a  review  of  the 
whole  list  between  the  years  mentioned  is  the  fact  that  it 
does  not  contain  the  name  of  a  single  individual  who  has 
left  a  distinctive  record  stamping  him  with  the  qualities  of 
a  great  military  leader.  Many  of  them  saw  honorable  ser- 
vice in  the  field,  and  others  in  the  departments  of  teach- 
ing or  in  garrison  duty  to  which  they  were  assigned ;  but 
the  same  can  be  said  of  volunteer  soldiers  who  served  by 
their  side  and  had  never  seen  West  Point  or  any  other 
military  school.  One  of  the  graduates  —  G.  Bomford  — 
served  in  the  army  honorably,  and  invented  the  Colum- 
biad;  another — R.  P.  Parrott,  class  of  1824  —  remained 
in  the  service  for  twelve  years,  when  he  resigned  and 
became  judge  of  a  civil  court,  and  afterward  proprietor 
of  a  foundry,  when  he  invented  the  Parrott  gun.  The 
author  has  no  wish  to  detract  from  the  merit  of  any  of  the 
individuals  under  consideration.  Their  service,  such  as  it 
was,  may  have  been  honorable,  but  the  present  purpose 
is  to  weigh  the  school  at  West  Point,  not  as  the  alma 
mater  of  professors,  engineers,  lawyers,  doctors,  or  even  of 
inventors  of  guns,  but  as  the  kind  mother  of  distinctive 
military  men  superior  in  arms  and  in  fame  to  those  who 
never  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  scholastic  military 
education. 

The  list  embraced  within  the  years  1825  and  1861  has 
more  interest  for  the  reader  in  connection  with  the  present 


452  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

subject  than  that  which  precedes  it,  for  the  chief  reason 
that  the  period  embraces  two  wars  in  the  history  of  our 
country,  the  latter  of  which  was  of  such  proportions  as  to 
afford  scope  for  the  full  display  of  the  military  talent  and 
genius  of  the  West  Point  alumni  who  participated  in  it. 
The  statistics  herein  given  in  connection  with  the  head 
classmen  of  the  Academy  between  the  years  above  men- 
tioned will  demonstrate  that  of  the  whole  number  given 
—  some  thirty-seven  in  all  —  about  thirty-three  per  cent, 
never  saw  a  battle  ;  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  have  left  no  mili- 
tary record  ;  three  of  the  number  went  into  the  Rebellion  ; 
a  little  over  fifty  per  cent,  had  militar}^  records  of  varying 
degrees  of  importance  and  excellence,  while  only  a  little 
more  than  one-fifth  of  the  number  rose  to  the  standard  of 
the  great  soldier.  In  making  this  latter  statement  the 
author  must  again  say  that  he  has  no  intention  to  detract 
from  the  well-earned  credit  of  those  who  served  their 
country  well,  but  the  present  demand  is  for  facts  with 
which  to  elucidate  an  important  problem,  and  it  is  well 
known  that  among  the  head  classmen  of  the  Military 
Academy  such  men  as  Stevens,  McPherson,  and  the  others 
already  mentioned,  have  no  duplicates  in  the  history  of 
the  school. 

The  author  is  aware  that  the  showing  of  the  facts  is 
strong  in  character,  but  the  figures  render  it  invulnerable 
to  attack.  These  cannot  be  changed,  though  the  attempt 
will  be  made  by  ultra-scholastics  to  explain  away  their 
significance.  It  may  be  claimed  that  class-standing  at 
West  Point  does  not  strictly  represent  actual  scholarship, 


CONFIRM  A  riON  B  V  NEGA  TI VE  E  VIDENCE.  453 

but  that  it  also  embraces  points  of  college  discipline. 
Such  a  reply  can  only  be  valid  to  a  very  limited  degree, 
as  even  the  fossiliferous  system  of  West  Point  can 
scarcely  be  so  absurd  as  to  place  a  pupil  at  the  head  of 
his  class  upon  a  record  for  turning  down  his  bedspread 
with  prescribed  regularity. 

The  foregoing  facts  in  connection  with  class-stand- 
ing at  the  Military  Academy  are  openly  affirmative  in 
character.  They  may  be  strongly  supplemented  by  a 
negative  evidence  equally  confirmatory  of  the  point 
raised  by  the  author.  Where  are  the  names  of  the 
soldiers  upon  both  sides  who  won  a  merited  title  to  high 
military  genius  during  the  late  civil  conflict?  Why  do 
they  not  appear  upon  this  honor  roll  of  West  Point  ? 
Why  is  there  no  place  upon  it  for  the  names  of  Grant,  No. 
21  in  class;  Sherman,  No.  6;  Sheridan,  ''glorious  Phil," 
No.  34;  Pope,  Hancock,  Anderson,  McDowell,  Heintzel- 
man.  Hooker,  Hunter,  Lyon,  Reno,  George  H.  Thomas, 
Sturgis,  Burnside,  and  others  upon  the  Union  side;  and 
of  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  No.  13;  A.  S.  Johnston;  "Stone- 
wall" Jackson,  No.  17;  Magruder,  Van  Dorn,  Jubal 
Early,  Longstreet,  J.  E.  B,  Stuart,  Ewell,  the  saintly 
Bishop  Polk,  and  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Confed- 
erate forces,  Jefferson  Davis,  on  the  rebel  side?  The 
author  scarcely  needs  to  attempt  an  answer  to  such  ques- 
tions. 

The  testimony  given,  then,  by  the  published  records  of 
West  Point  must  be  held  to  be  conclusive  as  to  the  inade- 
quacy  of   the    appointing   system    by   which    pupils    are 


454  '^HE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

admitted  to  our  national  academies.  These  pupils, 
expected  to  become  accomplished  soldiers  and  sailors,  are 
picked  up,  so  to  express  it,  at  random,  without  any  regard 
to  the  question  of  fitness  or  aptitude.  The  pupil  himself 
is  generally  a  passive  agent  in  the  matter.  The  father  of 
the  boy  settles  the  question  of  profession  in  the  large 
majority  of  cases.  Of  one  son  he  resolves  to  "make"  a 
lawyer,  of  another  a  doctor,  of  a  third  a  minister  of  the 
gospel,  of  a  fourth  a  distinguished  soldier,  and  of  a  fifth  a 
brilliant  naval  officer.  In  the  last  two  cases  the  faculties 
at  West  Point  and  Annapolis  undertake  to  give  the 
finishing  strokes  in  the  "making"  process.  There  is 
some  statistical  law  under  which  certain  events,  as  the 
commission  of  crime,  accidents  by  fire,  storm,  shipwreck, 
etc.,  are  numerically  predicted  for  a  given  period  of  time, 
and  it  is  just  possible  that  under  a  similar  law  there  will 
always  be  a  certain  proportion  of  army  and  naval  cadets, 
out  of  a  given  number  of  appointees,  whose  aptitude  for 
their  chosen  profession  may  be  justified  by  the  subse- 
quent record.  But  as  a  practical  rule  for  the  safety  and 
well-being  of  this  progressive  nation,  the  author  ventures 
to  suggest  that  it  possesses  some  elements  of  grotesque- 
ness  bordering  upon  absurdity.  The  whole  subject  is 
one  of  great  seriousness  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  and  no  effort  should  be  spared  looking  to  the 
grand  end  of  selecting,  under  an  enlightened  and  effective 
system,  the  most  available  material  for  the  soldiers  and 
sailors  of  our  country  —  the  men  who  are  to  become  its 
defenders  .against   nations   which    cultivate    the   art   and 


DANGER  OF  CONFINING  MILITARY  KNOWLEDGE.         455 

science  of  war  as  a  specialty.  The  idea  of  sustaining- 
national  military  academies  for  the  making  of  lawyers, 
priests,  clergymen,  professors  of  mathematics,  editors, 
school-teachers,  surveyors,  or  any  other  calling  except 
that  of  the  military  art,  had  better  be  abandoned  as 
soon  as  possible.  If  it  be  necessary  to  the  progress  of 
the  nation  that  the  Government  should  provide  for  edu- 
cation in  the  professions  mentioned,  let  a  grand  poly- 
technic institution  be  created,  which  may  meet  the  neces- 
sity, but  let  it  be  distinct  and  wholly  separate  from  the 
national  military  academies. 

The  third  and  last  objection  to  the  system  of  military 
education,  as  now  conducted,  which  the  author  desires  to 
raise  in  the  present  connection,  is  that  relating  to  its 
expediency  as  viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  national 
security.  There  seems  to  be  no  cause  for  any  present 
apprehension  that  danger  to  republican  institutions 
exists  from  the  army  and  navy  of  the  United  States, 
though  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  pretty  strongly  illus- 
trated certain  possibilities  when  danger  from  such  a 
source  was  least  expected.  But  the  objection  now 
urged  may  be  entirely  based  upon  the  general  principle 
of  the  case.  It  is  a  well-established  fact  that  it  is  danger- 
ous to  the  safety  of  any  government  to  have  a  knowledge 
of  the  military  art  confined  to  a  comparatively  small 
number  of  people,  as  the  latter  would  possess  the  power, 
even  should  they  never  entertain  the  inclination,  to  con- 
trol, or,  to  put  it  more  broadly,  to  conquer  the  rest  of  the 
community.     Now,  does  not  our  present  system  directly 


456  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

lead  to  the  creation  of  a  comparatively  small  military  class 
exclusively  vested  with  a  knowledge  of  the  art  of  war? 
Most  certainly  It  does,  and  the  potent  Influence  of  this 
small  class  has  been,  and  is  now.  supreme  In  every  rela- 
tion belonging  to  it.  The  class  of  which  the  author 
speaks  is  especially  powerful  in  two  respects :  first,  its 
members  possess  the  life-tenure  of  office,  and,  therefore, 
enjoy  a  special  privilege,  upon  which  aristocracies  are 
legitimately  built ;  and  second,  they  enjoy  an  exclusive 
knowledge  of  the  profession  of  arms.  All  knowledge  Is 
power,  and  a  knowledge  of  arms  is  supreme  in  the  affairs 
of  nations.  An  enthusiastic  playwright  has  declared  the 
pen  to  be  mightier  than  the  sword,  but  the  author's 
observation  leads  him  to  believe  the  declaration  to  be 
more  poetic  than  practical.  A  vigorous  cavalry  charge 
has  seemed  to  him  much  more  convincing  than  the  work 
of  many  pens,  even  though  of  steel  themselves. 

It  would  be  strange,  perhaps,  if  such  elements  as 
those  just  named  should  go  unappreciated  or  unused 
even  in  a  republican  country,  and  it  appears  most  certain 
that  they  have  not  in  the  case  under  consideration.  As 
the  repository  of  our  military  knowledge  and  resources, 
the  Government  habitually  looks  to  its  army  and  navy 
class  In  all  matters  pertaining  to  those  branches  of  admin- 
istration, and,  briefly  stated,  the  result  of  our  system  has 
been  to  constitute  both  the  army  and  navy  the  closest 
corporations  in  the  country.  The  entrance  to  a  recog- 
nized career  in  either  one  or  the  other  service  lies  only 
through   the   picket  lines   of    West   Point   or  Annapolis. 


''REGULAR"  AND  "JKKEGCLAK''  OFFICERS. 


457 


All  knowledge  not  obtained  there  is  spurious,  and  all  sol- 
diers and  sailors  not  made  there  are  considered  mere  pre- 
tenders. These  are  strong  words,  but  nevertheless  true, 
as  all  must  concede  who  are  familiar  with  the  facts  of  the 
situation.  Until  the  occurrence  of  a  most  notable  cir- 
cumstance of  quite  recent  date,  the  corporations  named 
have  been  supreme  in  the  management  of  the  military 
policy  of  the  country :  they  have  controlled  the  whole 
organization  of  military  affairs,  and  they  have  regulated 
all  the  appointments  of  the  army  and  naval  services. 
They  have  arrogated  to  the  graduates  of  the  national 
academies  the  appellation  of  i^egtdai'-  officers  in  opposition 
to  volunteer  officers,  who  by  contrast  have  become  irreg- 
ular, and,  as  a  consequence,  pretenders  in  the  profession 
of  arms.  Hence,  from  the  earliest  operation  of  our  pres- 
ent system  the  regular  officer  has  climbed  over  the  head 
of  the  volunteer  officer,  without  regard  to  real  ability  or 
qualification,  in  all  promotions  for  which  the  two  classes 
were  competitors. 

The  author  will  set  forth  this  phase  of  the  question  at 
much  greater  length  in  subsequent  chapters  of  the  pres- 
ent volume.  He  has  called  attention  to  it  in  the  present 
place  because  of  its  strong  exemplification  of  the  evils  of 
the  national  system  from  the  standpoint  from  which  the 
subject  is  now  being  viewed.  Military  knowledge  sJiould 
be  more  generalized  and  legitimized  in  the  United  States. 
The  system  is  much  too  narrow  for  the  best  interests  of 
our  great  country. 

It  is  not  meant  by  this  that  the  Government  should 


458  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

resort  to  a  measure  which  constitutes  the  Kfe  of  mon- 
archies and  aristocracies,  viz.:  the  creation  of  a  large 
standing  army,  which  would  be  a  standing  menace  to  the 
liberties  of  the  people.  The  author  refers  not  to  armies, 
but  to  a  general  diffusion  of  advanced  military  knowledge 
among  the  greatest  possible  number  of  people.  He 
means  to  take  an  expert  knowledge  of  the  military  art 
and  science  away  from  the  keeping  of  a  small  privileged 
class  and  to  entrust  it  to  the  people  of  the  Republic. 
This  can  be  done,  without  doubt,  and  when  it  is  done  the 
nation  will  never  again  be  placed  in  the  position  of  peril 
which  so  nearly  extinguished  its  life  when  men  whom  it 
trusted  proved  faithless  to  their  obligation.s. 


Three  Typical  Volunteer  Generals. 
I.    General  John  Stark  and  his  Green  Mountain  Boys.         2.   General  Logan  in 
the  Rain  before  Donelson.         3.   General  Terry  at  Fort  Fisher. 


PART  iil 


A  DEMAND  FOR  JUSTICE, 


A  DEMAND  FOR  JUSTICE. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    COLONISTS     AS    SOLDIERS THE     INDIAN     CONFLICTS 

BIRTH    OF    THE    AMERICAN    VOLUNTEER  AT    LEXINGTON 

THE  RIGHT  ARM  OF  THE  COUNTRY  FROM  BUNKER  HILL 
TO  APPOMATTOX THE  AMERICAN  PLAN  OF  ARMY  ORGAN- 
IZATION  UNJUST    TREATMENT     OF     THE     VOLUNTEER ■ 

QUALITIES  THAT  FORM  THE  SOLDIER  IN  BATTLE DISCI- 
PLINE UPON  DRESS-PARADE  AND  UNDER  FIRE- -  PERSONAL 

BRAVERY    A   CHARACTERISTIC    OF    THE    VOLUNTEER THE 

HEROES  OF  THE  REVOLUTION GENERAL  KNOx's  EFFORTS 

TO  DIFFUSE  MILITARY  KNOWLEDGE   AND  TRAINING THE 

WAR    OF    l8l2     AND    ITS    VOLUNTEERS THE    WAR    WITH 

MEXICO THE  GREAT  CIVIL  STRIFE. 

THE  introductory  chapter  of  the  present  volume  has 
been  devoted  to  a  general  consideration  of  the 
American  citizen-soldier.  It  is  the  present  purpose  to 
take  up  the  thread  of  this  interesting  subject  and  carry  it 
to  a  further  conclusion. 

Under  the  colonial  condition,  we  had  no  original  mili- 
tary system.  The  incident  struggles  of  pioneer  life,  with 
an  enemy  of  civilization  ever  alert  and  always  blood- 
thirsty and  unmerciful,  had  accustomed  the  colonists  to 

a6t 


462  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

the  use  of  arms  in  the  defense  of  person,  family,  and 
home.  To  that  extent  they  were  soldiers  ;  or  it  may 
better  be  said  that  they  had  certain  qualifications  which 
rendered  the  transition  from  the  life  of  a  civilian  to  the 
career  of  a  soldier  much  less  difficult  than  under  the  ordi- 
nary circumstances.  They  were  possessed  of  watchfulness, 
energy  of  action,  and  quickness  in  the  adoption  of  expedi- 
ents. They  had  become  familiar  with  danger,  and  fearless 
in  meeting  it.  They  were  trained  to  the  use  of  arms,  and 
practice  had  made  them  unerring  marksmen.  Unused  to 
luxury  in  any  form,  and  for  the  most  part  reared  with  habits 
of  frugality  and  hardy  toil,  they  were  m6dels  of  physical  de- 
velopment and  robust  manhood.  All  of  these  qualifica- 
tions were  invaluable  to  the  formation  of  a  soldier.  But 
they  lacked  the  discipline  which  enters  so  largely  into  the 
composition  of  an  efficient  soldier.  When  the  war 
between  England  and  France  was  in  progress  the  Ameri- 
can colonists  were  presented  with  their  first  real  opportu- 
nity to  learn  the  attributes  of  a  soldier  under  a  state  of 
organized  warfare.  The  English  officers  that  led  the 
American  forces  were  men  of  military  education  and 
experience,  even  though  unaccustomed  to  the  Indian 
modes  of  hostility,  as  in  the  case  of  Braddock,  who  paid 
the  penalty  of  deficiency  with  his  life.  But  from  these 
officers  and  their  veteran  troops  the  colonists  learned  les- 
sons, and  reaped  an  experience  which  made  ultimate 
success  possible  in  the  Revolution  which  was  so  quickly 
to  follow  the  struggle  between  the  two  European  powers 
named.     With  the  close  of  the  "  Seven  Years'  War  "  in 


BIRTH  OF  THE  AMERICAN   VOLUNTEER.  463 

1 763,  the  French  lost  their  colonial  possessions  in  America ; 
and  in  1775,  twelve  years  later,  the  first  armed  conflict 
between  England  and  her  own  colonists  took  place  at 
Lexington  —  an  event  which  was  marked  by  two  circum- 
stances of  the  most  profound  consequence  to  mankind  in 
general.  The  first  of  these  was  the  birth  of  the  American 
volunteer ;  the  second,  the  beginning  of  a  labor  des- 
tined to  terminate  with  the  advent  of  a  new  nation,  the 
cherished  offspring  from  the  womb  of  the  suffering  ages. 
Elder  brother  and  younger  sister,  the  volunteer  has  stood 
as  a  bulwark  of  protection  to  his  beautiful  charge  upon  all 
the  bloody  fields  that  have  menaced  her  destiny,  from 
Bunker  Hill  to  Appomattox  Court-house.  So  long  as 
the  strong  arm  of  the  American  citizen-soldier  is  extended 
in  protection  of  the  American  Republic,  it  will  endure  as  a 
blessing  to  all  races  of  men ;  but  when  that  protecting  arm 
falls,  the  American  Union  must  fall  with  It. 

The  governments  of  the  Old  World  owe  their  continu- 
ance to  standing  armies,  raised  and  maintained  by  regular 
pay  or  by  stern  compulsion.  The  United  States  possesses 
■no  standing  army  in  the  popular  sense  of  that  designation. 
Its  policy  and  traditions,  in  fact  the  very  essence  of  the 
nation's  existence,  repudiate  any  such  contrivance.  The 
theory  of  the  national  defense  rests  upon  what  the  French 
call  cadres,  mere  skeleton  organizations,  of  diminutive  pro- 
portions, which  in  time  of  peace  are  sufficient  to  man  the 
coast  defenses,  and  to  protect  the  people  from  that  in- 
veterate enemy  of  civilization  and  progress,  the  Indian  of 
the    frontiers,   and  which   in  time  of   war  serves   as  the 


464  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

nucleus  about  which  the  enormous  armies  that  the  country 
is  capable  of  putting  into  the  field  may  form  themselves 
into  fighting  legions. 

Practically  considered,  then,  the  nation  has  no  army 
in  time  of  peace,  though,  when  the  clarion  voice  of  war 
resounds  through  the  land,  the  country  throughout  its 
vast  extent  becomes,  if  necessary,  one  bristling  camp  of 
fighting  men.  This  is  a  most  interesting  circumstance, 
•  and  one  that  has  challenged  the  attention  of  men  of  all 
nations  and  of  all  creeds.  It  is  a  circumstance  quite 
unique  in  character,  and  forms  at  least  one  exception  to 
the  oft-quoted  words  of  the  wise  man,  "There  is  nothing 
new  under  the  sun."  It  is  so  new  that  it  has  no  precise 
parallel  in  all  history :  it  belongs  to  the  genius  of  the 
American  Republic ;  and  it  is  possible  only  to  a  govern- 
ment founded  upon  a  basis  substantially  identical  with 
that  upon  which  our  free  institutions  so  securely  rest. 

Singularly  enough,  while  the  capital  fact  of  our 
national  life  and  well-beine  is  well  known  to,  and  thor- 
oughly  appreciated  by,  all  other  nations,  there  are  many 
of  our  own  people  who  remain  so  far  blinded  to  its  ulti- 
mate importance  as  to  be  quite  insensible  to  the  practical- 
necessities  involved  in  it.  A  military  school  for  the  edu- 
cation of  a  comparatively  limited  number  of  military  offi- 
cers has  been  established  and  in  active  operation,  as  we 
have  seen  in  the  previous  pages,  for  a  period  of  more 
than  four-score  years.  A  certain  number  of  men,  to  con- 
stitute, with  their  officers,  what  is  called  "the  army  of  the 
United    States,"    but  who,    in   fact,   constitute   a  sort   of 


UNPROGRESSIVENESS  OF  MILITARY  SYSTEM.  465 

national  police  force,  are  mustered  into  the  service  and 
pay  of  the  Government  as  often  as  it  may  be  necessary 
to  preserve  the  numerical  requisites  of  the  body  spoken 
of.  This  is  well  enough  as  the  initial  or  departing  point 
of  our  military  school,  but  the  point  is  too  small  for  great 
extension.  Thirty  or  forty  thousand  soldiers  are  quite 
sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the  country  in  a  state  of  peace 
and  international  quietude,  but  the  absurdity  of  relying 
upon  such  a  number  of  educated  and  well-disciplined 
troops  to  represent  the  military  power  of  sixty  million 
people  in  a  condition  of  war  need  scarcely  be  dwelt 
upon.  From  the  period  of  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, when  the  colonies  numbered  little  if  any  more  than 
three  million  inhabitants,  down  to  the  close  of  the  recent 
Civil  War,  the  volunteer  soldiers  have  constituted  the 
prime  military  power  of  the  Government.  More  than 
that,  they  must  continue  in  occupancy  of  that  position 
until  the  liberties  of  the  people  are  unfortunately  sunk 
under  the  iron  heel  of  a  standing  army. 

The  plain  fact  that  the  author  has  taken  so  much 
pains  to  emphasize  in  more  than  one  place  is  insuscepti- 
ble of  controversy  or  denial ;  and  yet,  with  the  experience 
of  a  war  occurring  about  once  in  an  average  of  every 
twenty-seven  and  one-half  years,  including  that  of  the 
Revolution  —  there  having  been  four  wars  (exclusive  of 
the  Indian  struggles  and  the  hostilities  with  the  Barbary 
pirates)  in  one  hundred  and  ten  years  —  the  governing 
power  has  not  advanced  the  national  military  scheme  a 
single  step  beyond  the  scope  embraced  within  the  insuffi- 


466  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

cient  ground  covered  by  the  academies  at  West  Point 
and  Annapolis.  With  the  fact,  heretofore  stated,  plainly 
before  us,  that  the  volunteer  force  of  the  country  consti- 
tutes its  real  defensive  dependence,  together  with  the 
lessons  furnished  by  the  invariable  first  failures  of  heroic, 
but  raw,  undisciplined  levies  of  troops,  which  come  to  us 
from  almost  every  battle-field,  it  seems  remarkable  that,  in 
all  this  experience  of  a  people  progressive  to  an  almost 
unparalleled  degree,  there  should  have  been  but  little  or 
no  effort  to  advance  in  a  direction  running  so  closely 
abreast  of  the  national  welfare,  and  even  of  the  national 
existence.  Surprising  as  the  circumstance  really  is,  how- 
ever, it  seems  surpassed  in  mysterious  incomprehensibility 
by  another  fact,  as  open  and  undeniable  as  the  first,  which 
is,  that  the  volunteer,  who  is  and  always  has  been  the 
acknowledged  defense  of  the  country,  should  be  the  sub- 
ject of  an  unfair  treatment  and  an  unwise  as  well  as  an 
unjust  discrimination  well  calculated  to  destroy  the  very 
feature  of  the  American  Government  which  has  so  sur- 
prised the  modern  world — the  volunteer  system  of  the 
great  Republic. 

Let  us  consider  the  branch  of  the  subject  covered  by 
these  tVN^o  points. 

All  military  men  know  that  among  the  many  requisites 
of  an  efficient  soldiery  there  are  at  least  two  qualifications 
absolutely  indispensable.  These  are,  first,  a  discipline 
amountinof  to  a  blind  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the 
officer ;  and,  second,  such  a  disregard  of  an  enemy's  fire 
as  will  enable  the  soldier  to  perform  his  duties  and  to  pre- 


QUALITIES  NECESSARY  TO   THE  SOLDIER.  46/ 

serve  his  discipline  as  unconcernedly  and  as  absolutely  as 
though  the  enemy's  guns  were  simply  exploding  harmless 
powder  and  as  though  his  swords  and  bayonets  were  made 
of  wood.  These  two  qualifications,  so  to  call  them,  are 
worth  vastly  more  than  personal  bravery  alone  upon 
the  battle-field.  To  a  large  extent  they  are  acquired 
qualities,  for  while  the  idea  of  discipline  may  be  conveyed 
by  military  schools  as  well  as  the  mechanical  act  of 
moving  in  bodies  according  to  set  rules,  true  discipline  ia 
its  ideal  perfection  can  only  be  acquired  in  the  action 
of  battle.  And  as  for  the  second  of  the  qualifications, 
spoken  of,  as  well  or  better  might  it  be  attempted  to  teach 
a  man  how  to  go  to  sea  without  the  penalty  of  sea-sick- 
ness in  the  first  experiences,  as  to  instruct  him  in  a 
school  how  to  stand  an  enemy's  fire.  Immunity  from  the 
first  of  these  can  only  be  secured  from  the  roll  of  a  ship 
as  it  breasts  the  crested  wave,  and  indifference  to  the 
second  can  only  be  acquired  amid  the  roar  of  artillery  and 
the  serpent-like  hiss  of  the  death-dealing  small  arms. 
The  two  qualities  in  the  effective  soldier  go  hand-in-hand ; 
they  are  united  in  him  as  firmly  as  were  the  Siamese  twins 
by  their  bond  of  living  structure. 

A  closer  analysis  will  develop  the  facts  more  clearly. 

A  justly  admired  poet  has  embraced  an  important  and 
far-reaching  truth  In  the  following  lines,  which  have 
become  the  subject  of  almost  daily  quotation : 

Vice  is  a  monster  of  such  frightful  mien. 
As  to  be  hated  needs  but  to  be  seen ; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace," 


468  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

In  the  present  place  there  is  no  disquisition  to  be  made 
upon  the  subject  of  vice,  but  the  fact  expressed  in  the  fore- 
going Hnes  admirably  illustrates  the  effect  of  usage  in  its 
general  operation  upon  mankind.  Men  become  accustomed 
to  facing  danger  in  myriad  shapes  and  forms.  Nor  does 
the  circumstance  of  their  doing  so  always  imply  bravery 
of  the  individual.  Familiarity  with  a  certain  form  of 
danger  acquaints  the  observer  with  its  nature,  enabling 
him  to  know  its  real  attributes  and  to  calmly  appreciate 
its  real  effects.  Some  men  go  to  sea,  for  example,  and 
learn  to  be  impassive  amid  the  wild  raging  of  the  ele- 
ments, while  they  would  fly  before  a  simple  but  unfamiliar 
danger  upon  land.  Others  go  down  into  coal  mines 
whose  passages  and  chambers  are  full  of  explosive  gases, 
with  the  nature  of  which  the  miners  become  so  familiar 
as  never  to  lose  their  presence  of  mind  in  case  of  an  acci- 
dental explosion,  being  constantly  ready  to  throw  them- 
selves, as  quickly  as  the  flash  of  the  gas  itself,  flat  upon 
the  ground,  where  the  atmospheric  air  invariably  settles, 
in  which  they  may  be  safe  from  harm  until  the  gas  in  the 
upper  stratum  has  been  consumed.  But  put  such  men 
upon  the  ocean,  with  the  danger  of  shipwreck  staring 
them  in  the  face,  and  they  might  blanch  with  fear,  or  be 
unable  to  stand  for  trembling,  at  the  threatening  of  a 
death  far  less  terrible  and  less  painful  than  that  they  have 
so  many  times  faced  with  indifference  in  the  bowels  of 
the  earth. 

In  these  and  all  other  cases  illustrating  the  same  point 
the  apparent  paradox  presented  is  to  be  explained  wholly 


VALUE  OF  MIUTAKY  DISCIPLINE.  46^ 

upon  the  ground  of  usage,  and  upon  that  knowledge  of 
or  famiharity  with  a  thing  which  usage  alone  can  give. 

Here,  then,  is  one  of  the  elemental  attributes  of  all 
soldiers,  whether  in  the  line  or  in  the  rank  and  file, 
which  no  academy  can  teach  nor  oral  precept  convey, 
but  which  can  only  be  learned  in  the  noisy  school  held 
upon  the  battle-ground. 

It  has  been  said  that  discipline  goes  hand-in-hand 
with  the  quality  just  considered,  for  it  must  be  self- 
evident  that  without  the  indifference  to  the  enemy's  mis- 
siles heretofore  mentioned  there  could  be  no  effective 
discipline  upon  the  battle-field. 

To  march,  to  wheel,  to  move  singly  and  in  column, 
and  to  go  through  the  manual  of  arms  at  the  word  of 
command  upon  a  dress-parade,  when  under  the  view  of 
fair  women  and  admiring  fellow-citizens,  is  one  thing; 
and  to  perform  these  same  marches  and  evolutions  in 
front  of  batteries  belching  fire  and  brimstone  and  iron 
shells,  is  quite  another  thing.  Under  stern  familiarity 
with  that  particular  form  of  danger  which  attends  a  can- 
non when,  like  a  volcano,  it  may  be  said  to  be  in  erup- 
tion, the  soldier  learns  to  realize  its  full  proportions  and 
to  be  as  indifferent  to  it  as  the  men  who  learn  to  play 
with  venomous  reptiles  are  with  another  form  of  danger. 
The  soldier  comes  to  understand  after  sufficient  ex- 
perience that,  terrible  as  appears  the  blazing  fire  from  line 
after  line  of  artillery  and  rifles,  the  number  of  chances  of 
his  escape  from  being  hit  by  the  enemy's  balls  and  bullets 
is  largely  in  excess  of  the  chances  that  he  takes  of  being 


470  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Struck  by  them.  With  the  feeling  that  he  is  not  walking 
deliberately  up  to  certain  death,  and  with  a  firm  con- 
fidence in  the  wisdom  and  competency  of  his  officers,  as 
well  as  reliance  that  his  comrades  will  maintain  the  disci- 
pline that  should  move  them  in  a  solid  body,  elbow  to  el- 
bow, in  advancing  line,  he  becomes  a  soldier  such  as  those 
who  have  won  all  the  great  battles  of  the  world  have  been. 
Let  it  not  be  understood  from  this  commentary  that 
the  author  eliminates  the  quality  of  personal  bravery  in 
the  contestants  upon  a  battle-field  from  the  question  of 
the  results  of  the  contest,  leaving  it  to  be  decided  purely 
upon  the  circumstances  of  more  or  less  perfect  discipline 
and  greater  or  less  recklessness  as  to  danger.  The  pre- 
vious pages  have  dwelt  upon  the  peculiar  quality  which 
renders  the  American  volunteer  soldier  such  a  tremen- 
dous power  upon  the  field  of  battle  —  the  quality  of  rare 
personal  courage  backed  by  and  resting  upon  the  noble 
inspiration  of  patriotism  and  love  of  freedom.  There  is 
a  wide  difference  between  recklessness  of  life  and  the 
pure  courage  which  so  ennobles  its  possessor.  Many  of 
the  most  despicable  characters  of  history  have  been 
reckless  of  life,  while  all  true  worth  implies  courage 
of  high  degree.  The  instance  of  a  gifted  military  officer 
who  fell  at  an  early  day  of  the  late  war  in  one  of  the 
border  States  will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  He  was  placed 
in  the  trying  position  attached  to  those  who  engaged  in 
a  struggle  with  former  friends  and  neighbors  to  save  the 
border  States  from  being  drawn  into  the  whirlpool  of 
secession  —  a  position  which  brought  them  into  a  deadly 


THE  CASE  OE  GEN.  NATHANIEL  LYON.  47 1 

personal  antagonism  with  the  maddened  advocates  of 
rebellion.  The  gallant  officer  referred  to  saved  the  State 
of  Missouri  from  secession  by  a  noble  exhibition  of 
courage  which  terminated  in  his  death  upon  a  hard-fought 
field.  Every  possible  means  of  persuasion,  coercion,  and 
threat  failed  to  swerve  him  from  his  high  sense  of  duty ; 
and  as  a  last  effort  to  dispose  of  him  he  was  subjected  to 
the  mortification  of  a  personal  challenge  and  the  taunt  of 
cowardice  because  he  was  too  brave  to  uselessly  throw 
away  a  life  of  inestimable  value  to  his  country.  His  was 
a  couraofe  of  an  order  before  w^hich  mere  recklessness  of 
life  shrinks  to  the  background  as  an  ignoble  blight  upon 
fair  character.  It  was  the  courage  of  patriotism,  of  prin- 
ciple, of  holy  self-sacrifice  ;  it  was  the  courage  of  the  vol- 
unteer soldier  of  America,  reflected  by  one  of  its  most 
accomplished  military  officers. 

Hence,  while  recklessness  upon  the  field  does  not  of  a 
necessity  imply  the  attribute  of  true  courage,  neither  does 
the  absence  of  it  imply  cowardice.  In  many  of  the  battles 
of  the  late  war,  whole  regiments  of  the  bravest  troops 
frequently  broke  before  the  fire  of  the  enemy  and  fied  as 
though  panic-stricken,  who  were  afterwards  formed  into 
line  and  moved  upon  the  foe  in  unflinching  constancy, 
until  victory  perched  upon  the  Union  standard.  As  a 
rule,  panics  upon  the  battle-field  are  not  the  result  of  per- 
sonal fear  or  cowardice,  strange  as  such  a  statement  may 
seem.  Generally  they  result  from  a  sudden  shock  or  from 
a  loss  of  confidence  that  their  fellow-troops  will  stand  and 
act  together.     So  long  as  a  soldier  feels  that  his  comrades 


472  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

will  move  firmly  at  his  side — so  long  as  the  feeling  of 
reliant  companionship  can  be  maintained,  just  so  long  will 
a  soldier  of  good  moi'-ale  remain  firmly  at  his  post  until  the 
tide  of  battle  turns  either  for  or  against  him.  But  let  a 
break  suddenly  occur,  and  even  among  the  bravest  troops 
the  tendency  is  almost  irresistible  to  fly  before  a  danger 
augmented  by  an  imagination  which  has  with  the  quick- 
ness of  the  hurricane  broken  from  the  safe  moorings  of 
unimpassioned  reason. 

In  this  circumstance  is  strongly  reflected  the  value  of 
discipline  to  troops  upon  the  field.  A  proper  discipline 
not  only  teaches  them  hoiu  to  move  and  stand  together, 
but  it  also  inspires  them  with  the  confidence  that  they  will 
stand  and  move  together.  That  feeling  is  a  prerequisite  to 
success  upon  the  field.  The  soldier  knows  that  the  efforts 
of  a  few  are  unavailing  against  a  multitude,  and  if  he  be 
really  brave  he  will  not  care  to  throw  away  his  life  in  a 
hopeless  struggle.  But  give  him  the  confidence  that  he  is 
sustained  to  the  extent  of  rendering  combined  effort, 
more  or  less  productive  of  some  good  result,  and  he  will 
present  an  entirely  different  aspect  in  the  grim  play  of 
battle.  If  he  can  have  an  absolute  confidence  that  his 
comrades  are  firmly  held  to  strict  discipline  under  the 
officers,  he  will  possess  the  very  strongest  incentive  to 
observe  the  same  discipline  himself. 

To  the  practical  soldier  who  has  borne  the  labor  and 
faced  the  dangers  of  many  hard-fought  fields  the  forego- 
ing observations,  so  evident  in  character,  may  appear  to  be 
wholly  superfluous.    But,  hoping  to  claim  the  attention  of 


CONFIDENCE  UPON  THE  BA  TTLE-FJELD. 


473 


many  readers  who,  while  having  little  or  no  practical 
knowledge  of  military  affairs,  are  nevertheless  potent  to 
affect  legislation,  the  author  has  deemed  it  best  to  illus- 
trate the  subject  upon  which  he  writes  in  a  plain  and 
homely  manner. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  demonstrate  the  indispens- 
able value  to  the  soldier  of  the  qualities  treated  of,  be  he 
officer  or  private.  Mere  personal  bravery  in  a  body  of 
troops  without  discipline  counts  for  little  against  an  enemy 
thoroughly  under  the  control  of  a  vigorous  and  enlight- 
ened discipline.  This  fact  alone  explains  the  reverses 
which  the  American  troops  so  frequently  met  in  the  first 
periods  of  the  Revolution,  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  to 
some  extent  of  the  Southern  Rebellion.  When  hostilities 
began  between  the  colonists  and  the  British  troops  in 
1775,  the  revolting  provinces  possessed  no  semblance  of 
a  regular  army.  A  crude  militia  organization  existed,  as 
well  as  bodies  called  regulars,  and  there  were  soldiers,  too, 
who  had  served  in  the  Seven  Years'  War  against  France ; 
but,  practically  speaking,  the  army  which  was  to  achieve  the 
independence  of  the  colonies  was  yet  to  be  formed.  It 
would  be  useless  to  go  into  a  detail  in  the  present  volume 
of  those  weary  first  years  of  the  Revolution,  when  the 
raw,  undisciplined,  illy  armed,  poorly  clothed,  and  insuffi- 
ciently fed  troops  of  the  struggling  colonies  were  pitted 
asfainst  the  veterans  of  a  nation  with  which  the  art  and 
practice  of  war  was  a  fixed  profession.  Nearly  always 
beaten  and  driven  from  position  to  position,  and  from 
place  to  place,  by  a  foe  superior  in  all  that  belongs  to  the 


474  ^-^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

mere  trade  of  war,  the  suffering  volunteers  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, never  daunted  by  hardships,  never  dejected  by  hope- 
lessness, never  driven  from  their  purpose  to  achieve  inde- 
pendence by  defeat  In  battle,  followed  the  lead  of 
the  glorious  Washington,  and  in  every  encounter 
reflected  those  distinguished  attributes  of  the  American 
soldier  which,  with  the  acquisition  of  discipline  and  a 
more  extended  experience,  enabled  them  to  crush  the  vet- 
eran legions  of  the  British  oppressor  upon  the  glorious 
and  most  memorable  field  of  YorktoMm. 

After  the  American  Government  had  begun  life  upon 
its  own  account,  the  guiding  spirit  of  its  destiny  endeav- 
ored to  create  a  military  organization  which,  while  free 
from  the  dangerous  tendencies  of  a  standing  army,  would, 
nevertheless,  obviate.  In  case  of  foreign  war,  the  utter  lack 
of  military  preparation  with  which  the  colonists  began 
the  struggle  for  independence.  Foremost  among  those 
who  gave  earnest  attention  to  the  subject  were  Wash- 
ington, Knox,  Hamilton,  and  others.  As  a  result  of 
their  efforts  in  this  direction  the  scheme  for  the  effective 
organlzaton  of  the  militia,  as  given  in  full  in  the  previous 
pages,  was  presented  to  Congress  as  the  basis  of  a  law  by- 
General  Henry  Knox,  then  Secretary  of  War.  As  before 
observed,  this  scheme  was  supposed  to  embody  the  views 
of  Washington  upon  the  necessities  of  the  case  in  general, 
if  not  In  detail.  As  has  also  been  related.  Congress 
virtually  refused  to  adopt  the  scheme  so  ably  prepared 
by  General  Knox,  and,  emasculating  It  of  all  effectiveness, 
adopted  In  lieu  of  the  original  plan  the  harmless  and,  it 


THE  MILITARY  SCHOOLS  OF  FRANCE.  475 

may  be  said  also,  the  absurd  militia  law  approved  May  8, 
1 792.  After  the  many  struggles  and  vicissitudes  hereto- 
fore detailed  in  these  pages,  the  legislation  necessary  for 
the  successful  establishment  of  the  Academy  at  West 
Point  was  enacted.  This  plan,  as  has  been  remarked, 
was  also  one  of  the  favored  projects  of  Washington, 
though  the  law  providing  for  the  effective  establishment 
of  the  Academy  was  not  passed  until  after  his  death. 
The  two  projects  were  intended  to  go  hand-in-hand :  the 
militia  bill  to  provide  for  the  general  military  education 
of  the  whole  people,  and  the  Academy  to  furnish  a 
sufficient  number  of  educated  ofificers  to  lead  our  armies. 
The  plan  in  its  entirety  was  broad  and  comprehensive  in 
scope,  and,  had  there  been  earnest  action  in  the  direction 
of  following  the  spirit  of  both  the  proposed  measures, 
important  results  would  undoubtedly  have  followed  in  the 
next  war  with  which  our  people  were  to  be  afflicted.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  however,  there  was 
a  strong  sympathy  among  the  Americans  for  the  French 
upon  account  of  the  long-existing  hostility  between  the 
latter  people  and  the  English,  whom  the  Americans 
detested  as  late  enemies  upon  the  field  and  as  the 
destroyers  of  relatives,  friends,  and  homes.  The  sym- 
pathy spoken  of  was  more  active  and  fervent  because  of 
the  material  aid  lent  to  the  colonists  by  the  French  in  the 
latter  period  of  the  Revolution.  The  sympathy  partook 
of  the  disposition  to  imitate  the  customs  and  institutions 
of  France.  The  first  military  school  in  the  latter  country 
liad  been  created  by  Louis   XV.,  about  the  year   1751, 


476  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

at  Vincennes,  though  it  was  afterward  removed  to  the 
Champs  de  Mars,  Paris,  where  it  still  remains.  The 
pupils,  who  were  all  young  noblemen,  numbered  about 
five  hundred.  Subsequently  other  schools  were  estab- 
lished, that  in  which  Napoleon  I.  received  his  educa- 
tion being  located  at  Brienne.  This  wonderful  military 
genius,  fully  comprehending  the  advantages  of  an  expert 
education,  founded  another  school  at  Fontainebleau  in 
1802,  which,  however,  was  subsequently  removed  to  St. 
Cyr.  The  sympathy  of  the  Americans  with  the  French, 
notwithstanding  the  events  that  so  nearly  drove  them  to  a 
hostile  collision  at  this  very  period,  as  well  as  the  military 
enthusiasm  which  the  great  Frenchman  created  every- 
where, was  undoubtedly  somewhat  instrumental  in  the 
passage  of  the  law  of  March  16,  1802,  which  gave  life  to 
the  Academy  at  West  Point.  But  there  was  no  French 
model  under  the  militia  law  of  General  Knox.  Conscrip- 
tion and  actual  service  was  the  French  precedent  in  that 
direction.  Congressional  action  gave  birth  to  the  twin 
military  measures  —  the  Academy  and  the  militia  bills. 
One  of  these  died  after  a  lingering  struggle  for  existence, 
and  the  other  survived  through  a  precarious  contest  with 
adverse  circumstances. 

After  a  peace  of  less  than  thirty  years,  following  the 
Revolution,  the  United  States  was  forced  into  the  War  of 
181 2.  It  was  a  war  that  should  have  been  avoided,  and 
it  seems  safe  to  say  that  it  would  have  been  honorably 
avoided  had  the  Administration  been  vested  in  the  people 
of  the  North.     The  grievances  which  led  to  the  war  were 


THE   VOLUNTEER  IN  1812.  477 

mutual  without  doubt,  and  the  existence  of  a  spirit  of 
reason,  backed  by  the  desire  to  render  justice  animating 
the  heads  of  the  belligerent  nations,  would  have  saved  an 
armed  conflict,  with  the  consequent  loss  of  life  and 
property. 

But  the  war  came,  and,  as  upon  the  previous  occasion, 
the  American  volunteer  was  quickly  upon  the  field. 
Entire  lack  of  military  preparation  and  training  was  pro- 
ductive, in  the  first  period  of  the  war,  of  pretty  constant 
reverses  to  the  American  arms.  The  conflict  was  unpop- 
ular in  the  North,  however,  and  it  never  became  national 
in  any  sense.  Until  the  wanton  outrage  upon  the  city 
and  public  buildings  of  Washington  was  perpetrated  there 
was  no  general  enthusiasm  in  the  sections.  By  that  base 
act  of  vandalism,  the  British  furnished  all  the  incentive 
to  national  union  that  afterward  existed.  But  the  quotas 
of  troops  were  furnished  for  periods  far  too  short  to 
admit  of  the  attainment  of  a  discipline  among  the  soldiers 
which  would  have  rendered  them  invincible  upon  every 
battle-field.  Had  an  efficient  militia  training  been 
adopted  and  practically  followed  after  the  Revolution, 
backed  by  the  proper  cooperation  of  all  the  States,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  Canada  in  its  entirety 
would  have  been  attached  to  the  American  Union  as  the 
grand  result  of  the  War  of  1812.  But  the  conditions 
were  against  it.  The  war  was  not  popular,  and  troops 
were  begrudgingly  furnished  by  a  portion  of  the  States. 
At  the  outbreak  of  hostilities,  the  militia  were  raw  and 
undisciplined,  and  by  the  time  they  acquired  the  practical 


478  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

training  which  would  have  made  the  invasion  of  Canada 
by  a  sufficient  force  an  inevitable  success,  the  star  of  the 
great  Napoleon  had  set,  and  England,  being  thereby 
released  from  her  contest  upon  the  Continent,  was  ena- 
bled to  furnish  a  sufficient  force  to  effectually  protect  her 
American  provinces.  The  might-have-been  of  the  case 
Avas  soon  realized  by  our  people.  Notwithstanding  the 
lessons  of  the  conflict,  the  return  of  peace  was  followed 
by  no  effort  to  devise  a  feasible  method  through  which 
the  weakness  of  an  untrained  militia  mig-ht  be  obviated  to 
the  greatest  extent  compatible  with  the  unwarlike  pur- 
poses and  character  of  the  United  States.  The  injunc- 
tion, "In  time  of  peace  prepare  for  war,"  was  overlooked 
or  disregarded  by  a  people  who  desired  and  expected  to 
be  at  peace  with  all  the  world. 

In  just  thirty-one  years  more  this  desire  and  expecta- 
tion were  again  disappointed.  The  restless  statesmen  of 
the  South,  always  upon  the  alert  to  protect  the  "domestic 
institution"  upon  which  their  social  structure  rested,  and 
firmly  determined  to  possess  and  administer  in  the  inter- 
ests of  a  section  the  control  of  the  General  Government, 
easily  found  a  pretext  for  a  w^ar  with  our  feeble  neighbor 
upon  the  southern  line  of  the  United  States.  The  inev- 
itable result  of  such  a  war,  in  the  acquisition  of  territory 
destined  to  increase  the  political  power  of  the  Southern 
States,  needed  no  gift  of  prophecy  to  clearly  foresee. 

The  Mexican  War,  forced  upon  the  country  under  the 
then  existing  Administration,  like  that  of  1812,  was 
unpopular  in  the  North.     The  peace-desiring  inhabitants 


THE   VOLUNTEER  JN  THE  MEXICAN   WAR.  479 

of  the  country  could  sec  no  cause  nor  common  justifica- 
tion for  it.  There  was  no  issue  between  the  contending 
eovernments  that  could  not  and  should  not  have  been 
settled  by  peaceful  methods,  and  in  a  manner  honorable 
and  satisfactory  to  both  parties.  But  the  war  was  rudely 
thrust  upon  the  country,  and  the  demonstrated  conse- 
quence of  it  was  to  vastly  increase  the  political  power  of 
the  Southern  States  of  the  Union.  To  the  War  of  the 
Revolution  —  the  only  general  war  in  which  the  country, 
up  to  the  present  period,  should  have  been  engaged  — 
the  Northern  States  of  the  Union,  as  then  formed,  con- 
tributed, in  round  numbers,  three-fourths  of  all  the  troops 
raised  by  the  colonies.  To  the  War  of  1812  and  the 
Mexican  War  of  1846,  the  Northern  States,  in  each  case, 
contributed  only  about  one-half  the  number  of  troops 
sent  by  the  Southern  States. 

At  the  inauguration  of  the  Mexican  War,  the  regular 
army,  including  the  marines,  numbered  27,500  men,  and 
these,  being  first  put  into  the  field,  having  had  the  advan- 
tage of  military  training,  were  successful  against  the 
enemy  in  all  of  the  earliest  battles  of  the  contest,  begin- 
ning with  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la  Palma.  When  the 
volunteers  went  to  the  field,  the  same  bravery  and  patri- 
otic determination  to  uphold  the  flag  of  their  country  was 
witnessed,  but,  also,  though  to  a  greatly  less  degree,  the 
same  necessity  for  military  training  that  had  emphasized 
itself  during  the  early  period  of  the  previous  wars  became 
a  record  of  all  their  first  experiences  in  battle.  This 
necessity,  however,  was  less  apparent  because  of  the  fact 


480  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

that  nearly  one-fourth  of  the  troops  sent  to  the  war  (the 
whole  number  being  estimated  at  101,000)  consisted  of 
trained  men. 

As  a  result  of  this  war  upon  our  future  military  estab- 
lishment, the  bill  establishing  the  Naval  Academy  at 
Annapolis  can  alone  be  pointed  to.  The  militia  law  of 
1792  remained  upon  the  statute-book,  and  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  hostilities  with  our  unfortunate  neighbor  our  peo- 
ple laid  themselves  down  to  a  dream  of  uninterrupted 
peace. 

Alas,  for  the  uncertainty  of  human  hope !  The  treaty 
of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo  was  signed  upon  February  2,  1848, 
and  in  a  few  months  over  thirteen  years  from  the  date  of 
that  event  the  United  States  entered  upon  the  most 
terrific  struggle  of  modern  history — a  struggle  which 
involved  the  question  of  the  continued  life  or  the  speedy 
death  of  the  Nation.  Without  other  preparation  than 
that  derived  from  the  handful  of  regular  troops  constitut- 
ing the  army  of  the  United  States,  and  from  the  militia 
organizations  developed  by  and  maintained  under  the 
general  laws  of  the  various  States,  the  country  was  called 
to  a  war  in  which  not  thousands,  as  before,  but  mill- 
ions of  men  were  to  become  the  actors.  Our  brothers  of 
the  South  had  again  beaten  the  long-roll,  and  summoned 
the  loyalists  of  the  North  to  a  conflict  of  huge  propor- 
tions, and  destined  to  be  attended  with  the  most  mighty 
results.  The  American  volunteer,  after  his  short  sleep, 
was  again  hurried  to  the  field  of  battle,  this  time,  how- 
ever, to  find   himself  arrayed,  not  against  a  foreign   foe, 


REBELLION  AGAIN  CALLS  THE   VOLUNTEER.  48  I 

but  face  to  face,  bayonet  to  bayonet,  with  his  brother,  by 
whose  side  he  had  fought  the  haughty  Briton,  and  by  the 
aid  of  whose  vaHant  arm  the  stars  and  stripes  had  floated 
in  triumph  over  the  capital  of  Mexico. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

THE    GREAT    VOLUNTEERS    OF    THE     REVOLUTION GENERAL 

WASHINGTON GEN.  NATHANIEL  GREENE  AND   HIS  ARMY 

OF    UNTRAINED  VOLUNTEERS COMPARISON    OF  GREENe's 

UNFORESHADOWING    YOUTH    WITH     THAT    OF     NAPOLEON 

THE  GREAT WASHINGTON'S   YOUTH A  GLANCE  AT  THE 

FORESHADOWINGS    OF    GEN.  GRANT BURGOYNE  AND  THE 

VOLUNTEERS   WHO  OPPOSED   HIM JOHN    STARK  AND    HIS 

GREEN  MOUNTAIN  BOYS ALEXANDER  HAMILTON,  HENRY 

KNOX,  "  MAD  ANTHONY  WAYNE,"  ISRAEL  PUTNAM,  ETHAN 
ALLEN,  FRANCIS  MARION,  THOMAS  SUMTER,  NATHAN 
HALE,  AND  OTHER  GREAT  VOLUNTEERS THE  PROFES- 
SIONAL   SOLDIERS    OF    THE    REVOLUTION GEN.    CHARLES 

LEE    AND    HIS    INGLORIOUS    CAREER    UNDER    WASHINGTON 

THE    CASE     OF     GEN.     CONWAY NAPOLEONISM THE 

BIRTH    OF    PROFESSIONAL    SOLDIERY. 

THE  brief  recapitulation  of,  and  running  commentary 
upon,  the  several  wars  in  which  the  United  States  has 
been  engaged,  contained  in  the  closing  half  of  the  last 
chapter,  have  been  presented  with  the  specific  purpose  to 
give  Strong  emphasis  to  the  statement  previously  made, 
and  to  which,  it  would  seem,  no  exception  can  justly  be 
taken,  viz.:  that  it  has  always  been  the  volunteer  of 
America  and  not  the  regular  soldier  who  has  constituted 
its  true  military  power. 


WASHINGTON  AS  A    VOLUNTEER.  483 

Arrived  at  this  point  of  the  subject,  it  is  now  the 
author's  purpose,  as  a  prehminary  to  the  review  of  the 
injustice  of  our  Government  and  people  to  the  vohniteer 
system,  which  is  to  be  presented  in  the  subsequent  pages 
of  this  volume,  to  glance  rapidly  at  the  men  who,  through 
the  perils  of  war,  have  rendered  possible  the  present 
growth  and  commercial  as  also  intellectual  greatness  of 
the  United  States. 

As  remarked  in  the  preceding  chapter,  the  American 
colonies  had  no  general  army  when  the  crisis  of  war  with 
the  mother  country,  a  nation  of  venerable  war  tradition 
and  power,  was  sprung  upon  them.  Neither  had  they 
officers  educated  in  special  military  institutions  nor  those 
bred  to  the  art  of  war  under  long-experienced  and  cele- 
brated military  chiefs.  The  central  figure  of  the  struggle 
for  independence.  General  George  Washington,  whom 
more  than  one  people  have  pronounced  to  be  "first  in 
war,"  was  himself  first  among  the  volunteers  of  America. 
He  was  wholly  without  the  preliminary  military  education 
which  is  now  regarded  as  indispensable  to  the  making  of 
a  successful  officer.  Educated  as  a  simple  land  surveyor, 
Washington  had  no  military  experience  beyond  a  connec- 
tion with  the  Virginia  militia,  until  commissioned  as 
lieutenant-colonel  of  six  companies  of  one  hundred  men 
each,  with  a  part  of  which  he  set  out  against  the  French 
on  the  Ohio.  At  the  battle  of  the  Monongahela,  where 
Braddock  was' defeated  and  lost  his  life,  he  was  volunteer 
aide  to  that  General,  who,  however,  as  the  result  so 
fatally  proved,  was  inferior  to  his  young  aide  as  a  military 


484  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

officer.  With  this  slender  amount  of  miHtary  experience^ 
reinforced  by  the  position  of  colonel  of  the  Virginia 
forces,  including  the  militia  and  the  colonial  regulars  in 
the  contests  with  the  hostile  Indians,  Washington  was 
called  by  the  Second  Continental  Congress,  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  to  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  American 
army  in  the  impending  war  with  the  mother  country. 
All  readers  of  American  history  in  detail  are  familiar  with 
the  striking  character  of  Washington  from  a  military 
point  of  vieWo  Considering  the  material  at  his  command 
and  the  circumstances  under  which  he  conducted  the  war, 
as  well  as  the  conditions  by  which  he  was  hampered  and 
bound  down,  it  is  doubtful  that  he  has  been  surpassed  as 
a  military  commander  in  all  of  the  annals  of  wan  No 
amount  of  preliminary  technical  education  could  have 
made  a  greater  general  of  the  hero  of  Trenton,  Princeton, 
and  Yorktown.  His  genius  was  natural,  and  bloomed 
into  the  perfection  attained  under  the  developing  influence 
of  actual  warfare. 

Thus  much  of  the  great  volunteer  General  who  led  the 
hope  of  the  blow  for  Independence.  What  may  be  said  of 
the  other  striking  characters  of  that  momentous  struggle  ? 

Probably  no  officer  of  the  Revolutionary  army  enjoyed 
the  confidence  and  personal  esteem  of  Washington  to  the 
full  extent  that  did  Major-General  Nathaniel  Greene  ;  and 
no  single  officer  rendered  more  effective  service  in  the 
accomplishment  of  the  final  triumph,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  commander-in-chief  himself.  Greene's  father 
was    a    blacksmith    by    trade    and    a    preacher    in    the 


GEN.  GREENE  ORIGINALLY  A  BLACKSMiril.  485 

Society  of  Friends,  and  the  future  soldier  therefore  was 
brought  up  in  a  creed  a  prime  article  of  which  is  the  con- 
demnation of  war  and  of  all  violent  measures  in  the  rela- 
tions between  nations  and  between  private  individuals. 
His  book  education  during  childhood  and  youth  was  of  • 
the  most  rudimentary  character.  He  first  worked  upon 
a  farm,  then  in  a  mill,  and  finally  learned  the  trade  of  the 
blacksmith,  at  which  he  worked  for  a  considerable  time. 
These  facts  are  mentioned  more  particularly  to  illustrate 
the  wonderful  expansiveness  of  true  genius,  which,  no 
matter  what  the  surrounding  obstacles,  or  with  what 
strength  and  persistency  the  effort  is  made  by  mistaken 
relatives  and  friends  to  give  it  a  different  direction,  will  as 
certainly  attain  its  legitimate  development  as  is  the  air 
we  breathe  to  permeate  all  space  about  the  planet  which 
it  envelops. 

Beginning  the  study  of  law,  the  storm-cloud  of  the 
Revolution  broke  over  the  country  and  called  into  life  and 
active  growth  the  latent  military  genius  of  the  patriotic 
youth  of  the  resisting  colonies.  From  the  nature  of  the 
influences  under  which  Greene  was  reared,  he  was  wholly 
without  military  training.  Under  the  driving  force  of  an 
irresistible  genius  he  broke  from  the  peaceful  traditions  of 
family  and  friends,  to  join  a  company  belonging  to  his 
State  militia.  The  threat  of  expulsion  from  the  Society, 
which  was  afterwards  unhesitatingly  executed,  failed  to 
restrain  to  the  least  extent  the  steed  which,  having  once 
gotten  the  bit  Into  his  mouth,  had  dashed  off  for  a  race 
with  the   wind.     Rapidly  developing  his  ability,  he  was 


486  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

made  a  brigadier-general  of  the  Rhode  Island  militia,  three 
regiments  of  which  he  led  to  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, 
after  the  battle  of  Lexington,  So  striking  was  their  disci- 
pline in  contrast  with  the  raw  troops  in  general,  that 
Greene  at  once  fell  under  the  eye  of  Washington,  and 
was  instantly  taken  at  his  full  worth  by  the  penetrating 
judgment  of  his  chief.  From  this  time  he  developed  with 
great  rapidity.  He  was  appointed  to  be  brigadier-general 
in  the  Continental  army  in  June,  1 775,  and  in  fifteen  months 
afterward  he  was  made  a  major-general.  At  the  battle 
of  Trenton  he  rendered  brilliant  service.  Being  in  com- 
mand of  the  left  wing  of  the  army,  by  a  magnificent  effort 
he  captured  the  British  artillery  and  completely  cut  off 
the  enemy's  retreat  to  Princeton.  At  Brandywine,  by  a 
rapid  march  and  a  dogged  stand,  he  undoubtedly  saved 
the  whole  Continental  army  from  total  ruin.  He  dis- 
played conspicuous  ability  at  Germantown,  Monmouth, 
and  in  a  retreat  from  Rhode  Island.  At  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  he  successfully  opposed  the  advance  of  five 
thousand  British  troops,  ably  officered,  with  only  two  bri- 
gades and  a  small  body  of  militia  at  his  disposal.  He  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  army  during  Washington's 
temporary  absence  in  1780.  Appointed  to  succeed 
General  Gates  in  the  latter  year,  his  military  record  in  the 
South  was  strikingly  brilliant.  The  enemy  had  beaten 
Gates  at  Camden,  South  Carolina,  and  was  reveling 
under  the  prestige  of  victory.  He  was  well  provided  with 
clothing,  food,  and  arms.  The  people  of  the  South  were 
depressed  and   impoverished.     Greene  immediately    dis- 


GREENE '  S  CA  MP  A IGNS  IN  THE  SO  (77V/.  487 

played  tlie  attributes  of  a  great  military  genius.  He 
reorganized  and  strengthened  his  small  command.  With 
a  portion  of  his  army  under  Morgan,  the  battle  of  the 
Cowpens  was  fought  and  won  by  the  hitherto  despondent 
Americans.  Durino-  the  ensuingr  several  months  Greene 
executed  a  series  of  movements  which  are  held  by  cele- 
brated strategists  of  our  own  time  to  rank  high  among 
the  most  noted  campaigns  of  the  great  generals.  His 
army  was  small,  badly  clothed,  badly  fed,  and  badly  armed, 
but  with  it  Greene  succeeded  in  keeping  Cornwallis  upon 
the  constant  move.  He  compelled  the  British  army  to 
evacuate  Georgia  and  all  parts  of  the  Carolinas  except  the 
towns  of  Savannah  and  Charleston,  and,  as  the  termina- 
tion of  his  remarkable  strategic  movements,  he  drove 
Cornwallis,  with  his  army,  into  the  peninsula  of  Virginia, 
where  Washington  pounced  upon  him  and  administered 
the  co?i/^  de  grace  to  the  British  arms  at  Yorktown. 

The  case  of  General  Nathaniel  Greene  is  one  of  the 
most  strikingr  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most 
instructive  in  the  annals  of  military  history.  Without 
any  enlarged  English  education,  except  such  as  he 
acquired  through  his  own  tutorship  after  being  grown; 
with  no  military  tendencies  about  his  family  and  social 
surroundings  to  give  his  mind  a  bent  in  that  direction; 
with  no  friend  or  teacher  to  inflame  his  young  imagina- 
tion with  tales  of  war  and  "hair-breadth  'scapes  by  flood 
and  field;"  without  apparent  aspiration  for  other  than  the 
arts  of  peace  —  under  the  magic  touchstone  of  opportunity 
his  military  genius  blazed  out  with  the  suddenness  of  the 


488  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

full-faced  sun  as  it  quickly  emerges  from  behind  a  fugi- 
tive cloud.  Nor  can  it  be  successfully  maintained  that 
his  genius  was  only  relative  to  the  times  and  circum- 
stances of  his  activity.  His  opponent  in  the  South,  Lord 
Cornwallis,  was  by  far  the  ablest  officer  sent  by  England 
to  America  during  the  Colonial  Revolution.  Highly 
educated  at  Eton  and  Cambridge,  he  was  a  captain  in 
the  British  army  at  the  age  of  twenty,  at  which  age 
Greene  had  only  begun  the  study  of  law  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. He  was  an  aide-de-camp  in  the  German  campaign 
of  1 76 1,  and  upon  the  breaking-out  of  hostilities  in  the 
American  colonies  he  was  commissioned  as  major-general. 
His  army  scarcely  contained  a  raw  recruit,  being  com- 
posed almost  entirely  of  English  veterans.  Greene's 
army,  like  himself,  were  volunteers,  and  fought  under  the 
most  discouraging  conditions  and  circumstances.  Fur- 
ther than  all  this,  Greene's  campaign  in  the  South,  which 
was -the  beginning  of  the  successful  end  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, is  admitted  by  military  experts,  in  the  present 
advanced  state  of  the  art  and  science  of  war,  to  challenge 
comparison  with  the  most  distinguished  military  cam- 
paigns of  ancient  and  modern  times. 

Hence,  it  must  appear  to  the  most  ardent  advocate  of 
a  preliminary  military  education  as  a  prerequisite  of  all 
military  greatness,  that  Greene's  case  suggests  embarrass- 
ing perplexities  to  the  sweeping  theories  of  the  scholas- 
tics. Within  the  narrow  scope  of  his  education  there  had 
not  been  embraced  even  the  outlines  of  mathematical 
instruction,  though  through  the  spur  of  ambition  he  ac- 


THE  GENIUS  OF  NAPOLEON  EORESHADOIVED.  489 

quired  some  knowledge  of  Latin  and  of  mathematics  in 
the  moments  of  rest  from  his  work,  and  by  the  friendly 
light  of  the  blazing  forge.  But  he  was  as  unlearned  in 
engineering  as  in  the  modern  languages,  and  he  knew  no 
more  of  the  elements  of  military  science  than  he  did  of 
the  ordinary  routine  of  military  drill  and  tactics.  With 
simple  patriotism  he  entered  the  service  of  his  country, 
and  in  less  than  eighteen  months  thereafter  he  had  proved 
himself  an  accomplished  military  leader.  Considered  in 
all  of  its  bearings,  his  case  must  be  held  to  afford  remark- 
able negative  proof  against  the  common  belief  that  high 
military  talent  and  successful  leadership  can  only  be  the 
product  of  a  set  course  of  instruction  by  a  military 
academy. 

In  one  of  its  aspects  the  case  of  General  Greene  fur- 
nishes an  exception  to  those  of  great  military  men.  Many 
of  these,  if  not  the  most  of  them,  indeed,  have  furnished, 
before  the  youth  of  the  individual  has  been  completed, 
some  glimpse  at  least  of  the  orbit  in  which  the  genius  was 
destined  to  play.  The  wild  storm  seldom  breaks  over  the 
face  of  the  peaceful  ocean  without  giving  the  experienced 
mariner  some  indications  of  its  approach,  and  it  is  not 
often  that  genius  suddenly  asserts  itself  in  a  particular 
direction  without  furnishlnor  to  a  close  observer  some 
intimations  in  connection  with  its  certain  unfolding. 

Whatever  view  we  may  take  of  the  general  effect 
upon  the  world  of  the  career  of  the  great  Napoleon,  it 
must  be  conceded  by  all  that  he  ranks  among  the  first 
military  geniuses  of  recorded  history.      His  genius,  how- 


490  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

ever,  unlike  Greene's,  did  not  flash  unheralded  over  the 
field  of  military  glory„  While  the  merest  child,  his  fav- 
orite plaything  was  a  small  brass  cannon,  weighing  about 
thirty  pounds,  which  was  long  preserved  as  a  relic  of  the 
great  captain  in  his  native  island  of  Corsica.  While  most 
children  of  the  ao^e  at  which  he  then  was  are  engfasfed 
with  toys  and  innocent  play  as  the  routine  of  their  daily 
life,  Napoleon  loved  to  sit  upon  his  father's  knee  and 
listen  to  stories  of  the  engagements  between  the  French 
and  Corsicans,  as  related  by  his  parent,  who  was  a  dis- 
tinguished soldier  of  the  Corsican  army.  The  incident 
of  the  snow  fort  is  no  less  generally  known  than  well 
attested.  While  at  school  in  Brienne,  in  the  winter  of 
1784,  there  occurred  an  unusually  heavy  fall  of  snow. 
Napoleon,  being  then  but  fifteen  years  old,  divided  his 
schoolmates  into  two  parties,  and,  having  erected  a  fortifi- 
cation of  snow,  with  regular  bastions  and  the  usual  mili- 
tary essentials,  placed  one  of  the  parties  within  the  fortifi- 
cation to  defend  it,  and  the  other  in  front  to  attack  it, 
while  he  constituted  himself  commander-in-chief  of  both 
forces.  The  sham  fight  raged  for  nearly  three  weeks, 
and  became  so  realistic  that  many  of  the  boys  were 
seriously  hurt,  when  the  authorities  of  the  school  were 
obliged  to  put  a  stop  to  Napoleon's  first  campaign.  The 
whole  period  of  the  future  soldier's  youth  and  pupilage  is 
filled  with  anecdotes  illustrating  in  the  most  unmistakable 
manner  the  military  bent  of  his  extraordinary  genius. 

Much   the    same    preliminary   notice    of   the    coming 
event  was  furnished  during  the  youth  of   the  immortal 


WASHINGTON'S  MILITAR  Y  FORESIIADO  WINGS.  49  I 

Washington,  His  elder  brother,  Lawrence,  had  served 
as  captain  in  one  of  the  EngHsh  campaigns  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  upon  his  return  poured  into  the  ever-wilhng 
ears  of  his  child-brother,  George,  the  most  glowing  narra- 
tives of  battle  and  glory.  Speaking  of  this  portion  of 
Washington's  life,  Irving  in  his  charming  history  of  the 
Father  of  his  Country  says  that  "all  of  his  amusements 
took  a  military  turn.  He  made  soldiers  of  his  school- 
mates ;  they  had  their  mimic  parades,  reviews,  and  sham- 
fights.  A  boy  named  William  Bustle  was  sometimes  his 
competitor,  but  George  was  commander-in-chief  of 
Hobby's  school."  Upon  leaving  school,  so  strong  was 
the  young  man's  bent  in  the  direction  of  a  military  life, 
that,  with  the  consent  of  his  family,  arrangements  were 
made  for  his  entry  into  the  navy.  At  the  last  moment, 
when  his  trunk  was  already  on  board  the  vessel  in  which 
he  was  to  sail,  and  he  himself  was  upon  the  point  of  em- 
barkation, the  fond  mother  relented,  and  withdrew  her 
consent,  and  the  ever-dutiful  son  gave  up  his  most 
■cherished  wish. 

The  very  slender  knowledge  of  military  affairs  pos- 
sessed by  Washington  up  to  the  moment  that  he  was 
called  into  active  service  has  already  been  stated  at  the 
commencement  of  the  present  chapter.  Though  so 
wholly  untaught  in  military  science,  his  judgment  and 
many  of  the  rare  qualities  which  shone  so  resplendently 
-during  the  dreary  campaigns  of  the  patriots  of  the  Revo- 
lution were  fully  announced  during  the  fatal  march  of 
Braddock  against  the  French  and  Indians,  at  which  time 


492  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

the  youthful  Washington,  as  has  been  said,  was  a  volun- 
teer aide  upon  the  General's  staff.  Of  Braddock  himself, 
Irving  says  that  he  ''was  a  veteran  in  service  and  had 
been  upwards  of  forty  years  in  the  guards,  that  school  of 
exact  discipline  and  technical  punctilios."  Notwithstand- 
ing this  great  disparity  between  the  educated  veteran 
officer  and  the  stripling  aide,  Washington  gave  him 
advice  which,  had  it  been  followed,  would  in  all  prob- 
ability have  given  an  entirely  different  result  to  the 
expedition.  Of  this  Irving  further  remarks  that  "  Brad- 
dock  could  not  carry  out  Washington's  advice  in  detail. 
His  military  education  was  in  the  way:  bigoted  to  the 
regular  and  elaborate  tactics  of  Europe,  he  could  not 
stoop  to  the  make-shift  expedients  of  a  new  country  where 
every  difficulty  is  encountered  and  mastered  in  a  rough- 
and-ready  style.  In  consequence  of  adhering  to  technical 
rules  and  military  forms.  General  Braddock  had  consumed 
a  month  in  marching  little  more  than  one  hundred  miles."^ 
Upon  this  same  point  Washington  himself  subsequently 
wrote:  "I  found  that  instead  of  pushing  on  with  vigor, 
without  regarding  a  little  rough  road,  they  were  halting 
to  level  every  mole-hill,  and  to  erect  bridges  over  every 
brook,  by  which  means  we  were  four  days  in  getting 
twelve  miles."  These  illustrations  of  the  youth  and  early 
military  experiences  of  one  whose  military  glory  will 
never  fade  from  the  history  of  battle-fields  serve  to  pic- 
ture faithfully  the  expansive  direction  of  his  brilliant 
genius. 

Turning  for  a  moment  to  the  example  of  our  more 


MILITARY  FORESIIADOWINGS  OF  GRANT.  493 

modern  military  marvel  —  the  revered  captain  of  the 
Union  struggle  —  though  we  cannot  find  in  the  scant 
material  of  his  early  life,  as  furnished  by  his  biographers, 
direct  evidence  of  his  future  bent,  we  can,  nevertheless, 
in  the  qualities  of  quick  judgment,  stern  decision,  and 
unyielding  determination,  which  one  and  all  accord  to 
mark  his  very  earliest  character,  discern  the  peculiar  attri 
butes  which  so  inseparably  belong  to  the  great  soldier. 
Modest  almost  to  a  fault,  as  was  Ulysses  Grant,  it  is  not 
improbable  that  the  very  traits  of  character  which  would 
indelibly  mark  the  line  of  his  future  greatness  were  left 
by  him  entirely  unmentioned  to  his  various  biographers. 
There  exists,  however,  a  paragraph  in  his  "  Personal 
Memoirs,"  which,  unconsciously  to  himself,  who  believed 
he  had  no  military  taste,  perhaps  most  fully  illustrates  the 
latent  spirit  concealed  in  one  who  was  destined  to  write 
his  name  upon  the  scroll  of  the  world's  great  soldiers. 
The  paragraph  alluded  to  is  inscribed  in  the  simple  style 
of  the  author  of  the  "  Memoirs,"  and  is  as  follows : 

"During  my  first  five  years'  encampment.  General  Scott  vis- 
ited West  Point,  and  reviewed  the  cadets.  With  his  commanding 
figure,  his  quite  colossal  size,  and  showy  uniform,  I  thought  him 
the  finest  specimen  of  manhood  my  eyes  had  ever  beheld,  and  the 
most  to  be  envied.  I  could  never  resemble  him  in  appearance,  but 
I  believe  I  did  have  a  presentiment,  for  a  moment,  that  some  day  I 
should  occupy  his  place  on  review,  although  I  had  no  intention 
then  of  remaining  in  the  army."^ 

What  a  charmingly  modest  confession  is  contained  in 
those  simple  words,  and   how  fully  does  the   confession 


^Personal  Memoirs  of  U.  S.  Grant,  vol.  I.,  page  41. 


494  ^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

itself  mark  the  latent  inspiration  of  that  wonderful  genius, 
who  belongs  not  alone  to  his  own  generation,  but  to  all 
future  time ! 

To  return  from  a  digression  v/hich,  the  author  hopes, 
may  not  be  deemed  profitless,  let  us  continue  the  brief 
survey  of  the  more  prominent  figures  of  the  Revolution 
with  which  the  present  chapter  is  engaged. 

The  surrender  of  Burgoyne  at  Saratoga  was  one  of 
the  decisive  events  of  the  war,  as  has  been  elsewhere  inti- 
mated in  the  present  pages.  That  victory  not  only 
revived  the  drooping  hopes  of  the  patriots,  but  it  also 
furnished  the  ultimate  inducement  which  decided  the 
French  Government  to  enter  into  an  alliance  with  the 
colonies.  The  surrender  took  place  after  the  battle  of 
Saratoga,  but  the  result  had  been  rendered  inevitable 
before  the  occurrence  of  that  battle.  The  actors  in  the 
events  connected  with  Burgoyne  s  campaign  are  possessed 
of  a  peculiar  interest. 

Burgoyne  himself  was  an  educated  and  experienced 
ofificer  of  the  British  army.  Creasy  ("  Fifteen  Decisive 
Battles  of  the  World")  says  of  him  that  "he  had  gained 
celebrity  by  some  bold  and  dashing  exploits  in  Portugal 
during  the  last  war ;  he  was  personally  as  brave  an  officer 
as  ever  headed  British  troops  ;  he  had  considerable  skill 
as  a  tactician,  and  his  general  intellectual  abilities  and 
acquirements  were  of  a  high  order.  He  had  several  able 
and  experienced  men  under  him,  among  whom  were 
Major-General  Phillips  and  Brigadier-General  Frazer." 
Of  his  troops  the  same  author  says  that  "seven  thousand 


PERSONNEL  OF  THE  BURGOYNE  EXPEDITION. 


495 


veteran  troops  were  sent  out  from  England,  with  a  corps 
of  artillery  abundantly  supplied,  and  led  by  select  and 
experienced  officers."  To  these  was  added  an  auxiliary 
force  of  over  two  thousand  Canadians,  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  Indians.  The  object  of  the  expedition  was  to 
crush  out  all  opposition  in  Northern  New  York,  from  the 
lakes  southward,  and  by  the  possession  of  the  line  down 
the  Hudson  River  to  cut  the  New  England  States,  which 
were  considered  the  only  effective  enemies,  entirely  apart 
from  the  other  colonies.  Burgoyne  himself  started  down 
Lake  Champlain  and  took  Crown  Point  and  Fort  Ticon- 
deroga,  but,  that  no  force  might  be  left  in  his  rear, 
Colonel  St.  Leger  was  sent  to  take  Fort  Oswego,  after 
which  he  w^as  to  rejoin  Burgoyne.  The  whole  plan  mis- 
carried. St.  Leger  was  defeated  at  the  battle  of  Oris- 
kany  by  the  American  volunteers  under  the  brave  Gen- 
eral Herkimer,  who  lost  his  life,  though  the  British  force 
was  driven  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  away  from  the  main 
army.  In  moving  down  Lake  George,  detachments  sent 
out  by  Burgoyne  in  quest  of  stores  were  met  and  utterly 
defeated  by  the  gallant  General  John  Stark  and  his  Green 
Mountain  boys.  Burgoyne  was  utterly  broken  by  these 
reverses  before  reaching  the  Hudson  River,  and  his 
troops  were  appalled  by  the  constantly  swelling  numbers 
of  the  Americans.  Burke,  in  the  "Annual  Register  for 
1777,"  quoted  by  Creasy,  in  speaking  of  the  growing 
force  of  the  American  volunteers,  says  that  "'an  army 
was  poured  forth  by  the  woods,  mountains,  and  marshes, 
which  in  this  part  were  thickly  sown  with  plantations  and 


49^  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

villages.  The  Americans  recalled  their  courage,  and, 
when  their  regular  army  seemed  to  be  entirely  wasted,  the 
spirit  of  the  country  produced  a  much  greater  and  more 
formidable  force.'  " 

Major-General  Philip  Schuyler  had  been  in  command 
of  the  Northern  Department,  but  General  Horatio  Gates, 
who  had  been  scheming  to  succeed  him,  obtained  the 
object  of  his  desires  just  in  time  to  carry  off  the  credit  of 
the  crushing  victory  over  Burgoyne.  No  impartial 
student  of  the  events  of  that  time  can  fail  to  award  the 
honor  of  preparing  everything  for  the  final  victory  to 
General  Schuyler. 

General  Horatio  Gates  was  born  in  England,  and  at 
an  early  age  he  entered  the  British  army  and  soon 
acquired  the  rank  of  major.  He  was  subsequently  sta- 
tioned at  Halifax,  and  still  later  accompanied  Braddock's 
expedition  and  was  severely  wounded.  Retiring  from 
the  army,  he  purchased  an  estate  in  Virginia,  where  the 
Revolutionary  outbreak  found  him.  Entering  the  ser- 
vice of  the  patriot  army,  he  was  assigned  to  the  Northern 
Department,  where  he  made  an  almost  fatal  blunder  in 
withdrawing  the  entire  American  force  from  Crown 
Point.  For  this  he  was  generally  censured,  and  Schuyler 
was  appointed  to  succeed  him.  When  the  latter  had  pre- 
pared the  trap  which  was  to  capture  Burgoyne  and  his 
army,  Gates,  through  intrigue,  superseded  him  at  the 
opportune  moment  to  reap  the  whole  prestige  for  himself. 
Elated  by  the  success  of  the  achievement.  Gates  and  his 
friends  of  the   "Conway  Cabal"  fomented  a  scheme  by 


GEN'S  GATES,  HERKIMER  AND  SCHUYLER.  497 

which  Washington  was  to  be  displaced  and  Gates  made 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army.  The  scheme  failed,  as 
all  know,  and  Gates  subsequently  proved  his  military 
incompetency  through  the  crushing  defeat  by  Cornwallis 
at  Camden,  South  Carolina.  This  defeat  is  considered  to 
have  been  the  most  disastrous  suffered  by  the  colonists 
during  the  entire  war,  and  it  terminated  the  military 
career  of  an  officer  whose  military  education  and  service 
in  the  British  army  should  have  made  him  a  most  valu- 
able acquisition  to  the  Americans. 

Brigadier-General  Nicholas  Herkimer,  who  so  gal- 
lantly defeated  Colonel  St.  Leger  at  the  battle  of  Oris- 
kany,  and  thus  administered  the  first  blow  leading  to  the 
final  defeat  of  Burgoyne,  was  reared  in  civil  life.  During 
the  hostilities  with  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies  he 
entered  the  militia  and  commanded  at  Fort  Herkimer  in 
1758,  Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  he  again 
entered  the  New  York  militia,  and  was  made  brigadier- 
general,  terminating  his  service  with  the  sacrifice  of  a 
valuable  life.  For  the  important  services  he  rendered  to 
the  country,  Congress  voted  him  a  monument. 

General  Philip  Schuyler,  the  real  hero  of  the  Bur- 
goyne surrender,  was  also  a  civilian.  The  French  and 
Indian  war  gave  him  his  first  entrance  to  the  State  mil- 
itia, while  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  furnished  the 
second.  He  was  soon  made  a  major-general,  and  ren- 
dered the  most  sigrnal  service  as  a  volunteer  officer. 
Alter  he  had  been  so  unjustly  treated  by  the  Gates  clique, 
instead  of  playing  the  part  of  the  sulk.  General  Schuyler 


498  THE  VOL  UNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

magnanimously  offered  to  serve  his  country  in  any  private 
capacity  whatever^  He  had  not  the  mihtary  aspiration  of 
Gates,  the  regular  officer,  but,  actuated  by  the  patriotism 
of  pure  principle,  he  was  willing  to  sink  personal  renown 
under  the  good  of  the  country. 

That  glorious  representative  of  the  volunteer  soldiery 
of  America,  Major-General  John  Stark,  was  reared  upon 
a  farm  and  followed  the  plow  until  he  was  twenty-four 
years  of  age.  His  first  military  experience  was  acquired 
through  service  in  a  militia  company  during  the  French 
and  Indian  war.  As  a  simple  lieutenant  he  gained  much 
credit  by  conducting  a  retreat  after  all  the  superior 
officers  had  been  killed  or  wounded.  The  first  gun  of 
the  Revolution  found  him  ready  to  enter  the  ranks  of 
the  volunteers.  He  distinguished  himself  at  Bunker  Hill, 
commanded  the  vanguard  at  Trenton,  and  should  have 
been  promoted  for  his  gallant  service  at  Princeton,  though 
he  was  not.  Nettled  at  the  injury  done  him,  he  returned 
to  his  farm,  but  when  again  called  upon  to  the  defense 
against  Burgoyne,  he  quickly  raised  a  force  of  Green 
Mountain  men  and  administered  the  second  blow,  through 
which  the  British  General  was  destined  so  soon  to  fall. 
He  took  part  in  the  first  battle  of  Saratoga,  and  con- 
tinued to  render  valuable  service  to  the  patriot  cause  until 
the  close  of  hostilities.  He  was  a  man  of  no  book  educa- 
tion, but  he  bore  as  true  a  heart  as  ever  beat  in  soldier's 
breast.  He  knew  nothing  of  mathematics,  nor  of  engi- 
neering, nor  of  the  art  of  war  as  taught  in  the  schools 
but  he  knew  a  red-coat  veteran  upon  sight,  and  gener- 


•  Volunteer  Heroes  of  the  Revolution. 

I.  Greene.         2.  Wayne.         3.   Putnam.         4.  Washington.         5.   Stark. 
6.   Knox.         7.   Hamilton. 


GEN.  STARK  VERSUS  BRITISH  VETERANS.  499 

ally  it  was  a  very  unpropitlous  clay  for  the  said  veteran 
when  "Mollie"  Stark's  husband  got  his  eye  upon  him. 
This  great  volunteer  General  of  the  Revolution  was  a 
soldier  by  pure  inspiration  and  natural  character,  and  no 
amount  of  scholastic  education  would  have  made  him  a 
more  successful  officer  than  he  became  through  the  sheer 
force  of  natural  genius  developed  and  matured  by  rough 
experience  upon  the  field  of  battle. 

A  consideration  of  the  gallant  soldiers  who  fought 
first  for  the  independence  of  the  nation,  subsequently 
for  its  honor,  and  lately  for  its  preservation,  is  a  pleasure 
of  fascinating  interest.  In  a  volume  limited  to  the  com- 
pass of  the  present,  however,  it  is  impossible  to  extend  the 
subject  to  the  proportions  that  every  American,  proud  of 
his  country  and  his  people,  would  naturally  wish.  In 
furtherance  of  the  immediate  objects  of  his  task,  it  is  only 
permitted  to  the  author  that  he  throw  the  light  first  here, 
then  there,  in  order  that  in  succession  it  may  fall  upon  the 
bold  points  of  our  historic  coast-line,  so  that  they  may 
more  fully  serve  as  guiding  objects  in  the  navigation  of 
the  future.  A  brief  summary,  then,  of  a  few  others  of  the 
,  strong  men  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle  must  suffice  for 
the  present  purpose. 

Alexander  Hamilton,  who,  in  wealth  of  natural  intellect, 
breadth  of  mental  power,  enlargement  of  culture,  and  ver- 
satility of  genius,  was  one  of  the  greatest  of  public  men  of 
this  country^  was  also  one  of  its  most  able  and  distin- 
guished volunteer  soldiers.  He  began  life  in  a  counting- 
house,  and  the  education  which  he  subsequently  received, 


500  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

first  in  a  private  school  in  New  Jersey,  and  afterward  at 
King's  College,  was  purely  of  a  civil  character,  covering 
only  the  ordinary  branches  of  an  English  education. 
Upon  the  bursting  of  the  war-cloud,  young  Hamilton 
began  the  assiduous  study  of  military  tactics,  and  in  1776 
he  was  made  a  captain  of  artillery.  He  rendered  gallant 
and  important  service  at  Long  Island,  White  Plains,  Mon- 
mouth, Princeton,  Trenton,  and  Yorktown,  He  served 
upon  .Washington's  staff  with  distinction,  and  in  1798, 
when  the  French  Directory  by  repeated  acts  of  hostility 
caused  the  reorganization  of  the  army  in  anticipation  of 
war  between  France  and  the  new  Republic  in  America, 
Hamilton  was  appointed  Inspector-General,  with  the  rank 
of  major-general,  and  second  only  to  Washington.  In  the 
following  year,  when  the  country  was  called  to  universal 
lamentation  for  the  death  of  the  revered  Father  of  his 
Country,  so  highly  was  Hamilton's  military  ability  consid- 
ered that  he  was  named  to  succeed  the  great  soldier  as 
commander  of  the  American  army.  It  was  after  the  surren- 
der of  Cornwallis  that  Hamilton  commenced  the  study  of 
law,  which  he  began  to  practice  in  1783.  With  his  most 
eminent  qualities  as  a  jurist  and  statesman,  as  well  as  with 
the  services  rendered  to  his  country  in  a  civil  capacity, 
the  student  of  American  history  is  wholly  familiar.  In 
a  military  aspect  his  character  was  as  remarkable  as  that 
of  General  Nathaniel  Greene.  Up  to  the  very  outbreak 
of  the  hostilities  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  had  any 
military  knowledge,  theoretical  or  practical,  and  yet  both 
became  under  practical  training  most  important  military 


THE   VOLUNTEERS  HAMILTON  AND  KNOX.  50I 

officers,  each  largely  contributing  to  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  the  colonial  arms. 

The  case  of  General  Henry  Knox  has  already  been 
touched  in  the  previous  pages  in  connection  with  his 
scheme  for  the  general  training  of  the  militia.  At  present 
it  need  only  be  said  that  at  the  outstart  in  life  Knox  pos- 
sessed the  elements  of  a  common-school  education  only. 
His  only  military  knowledge  prior  to  experience  in  actual 
warfare  was  derived  from  connection  with  a  local  artillery 
company.  He  was  a  volunteer  aide  at  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  and  attracted  the  notice  of  Washington  by 
his  skill  as  an  artillerist.  In  1 776  he  was  made  a  brigadier- 
general,  and  commanded  the  main  artillery  throughout  the 
war.  He  distinguished  himself  in  all  of  the  chief  battles 
of  the  Revolution,  only  suffering  in  prestige  once,  which 
was  at  Germantown,  when,  by  too  closely  following  estab- 
lished military  maxims,  a  portion  of  the  unfavorable  result 
was  attributed  to  him.  In  all  else,  his  reputation  as  a 
splendid  officer  is  unchallenged.  His  subsequent  brilliant 
service  to  the  country  as  Secretary  of  War,  with  charge 
of  the  navy,  need  not  here  be  commented  upon.  It  is  the 
striking  case  of  Henry  Knox  — the  civilian  who,  without 
preliminary  military  knowledge  or  education,  became  one 
of  the  most  competent  and  trusted  generals  of  the  Rev- 
olution—  that  is  here  considered. 

Still  another  brilliant  figure  of  the  war  is  General 
Anthony  Wayne  —  "Mad  Anthony,"  as  his  enthusiastic 
troops  called  him  in  admiration  of  his  dashing  bravery 
and    startling    rapidity    of     movement     and    execution. 


502  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Wayne  served  with  great  distinction  and  eclat  throughout 
the  war,  and  was  one  of  the  most  trusted  of  Washington's 
officers  and  advisers.  What  reader  of  his  brilhant  storm- 
ing of  Stony  Point,  on  the  Hudson,  can  fail  to  be  thrilled 
by  his  gallant  achievement  at  that  place.  And  yet 
Anthony  Wayne,  like  so  many  of  his  fellow-generals,  pos- 
sessed no  preliminary  education  of  a  military  character. 
Until"  1774  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer, 
conjoining  with  it  the  business  of  a  land  surveyor.  After 
the  smoke  of  Lexington  had  blown  away,  and  the  dead  of 
Bunker  Hill  had  been  laid  to  an  eternal  rest,  Wayne 
raised  a  regiment  (in  September,  1775),  and  in  something 
more  than  a  year  his  capability  and  soldierly  knowledge 
caused  him  to  be  made  a  brigadier-general.  His  example 
shines  from  the  pages  of  our  history  as  that  of  another 
great  soldier  developed  from  inherent  genius,  amid  the 
thunders  of  battle  and  the  clash  of  arms. 

Other  figures  of  the  struggle  whose  services  were  of 
the  most  indispensable  value  in  the  achievement  of  the 
glorious  end  pass  rapidly  before  us  in  connection  with  the 
present  topic.  Who  can  forget  that  Warren,  who  fell  at 
Bunker  Hill,  was  a  civilian  educated  as  a  physician,  and 
that  his  military  knowledge  and  rank  were  acquired  during 
the  threatenincr  crisis  of  war.  Who,  that  General  Daniel 
Morgan,  whose  record  as  a  dashing  soldier  in  so  many 
conflicts  can  never  be  dimmed  by  time,  was  an  illiterate 
boy  upon  his  father's  farm  until  the  age  of  seventeen,  when 
he  became  a  wagoner  in  the  Braddock  expedition,  and  thus 
acquired  a  practical  military  knowledge  in  the  field  ?    Who^ 


LINCOLN,  PUTNAM,  ALLEN,  MARION.  503 

that  General  Benjamin  Lincoln,  another  luminous  example 
of  superior  military  capacity,  and  with  Morgan  one  of  the 
heroes  of  the  Southern  campaign  under  Greene  which 
finally  drove  Cornwallis  to  his  fate  at  Yorktown,  was  a 
farmer  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  ?  Who,  that 
General  Israel  Putnam,  famous  for  his  military  achieve- 
ments, was  plowing  in  his  field  when  the  news  of  the 
battle  of  Lexington  reached  him,  and  that,  unyoking  his 
horses  and  leaving  his  plow  standing  in  the  furrow,  he 
rode  off  to  Boston  ;  that  he  returned  to  raise  a  regiment ; 
and  that,  after  a  brilliant  service  in  the  field,  he  further 
displayed  his  military  sagacity  in  the  selection  of  West 
Point  as  the  site  of  a  strategic  fortification  ?  Who,  that 
the  renowned  soldier  and  partisan  fighter,  General  Ethan 
Allen,  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  an  iron  furnace,  with 
but  little  English  education  and  no  military  knowledge  or 
experience  until  the  reverberation  of  the  guns  at  Lexing- 
ton caused  him  to  bound  into  the  saddle  and  subsequently 
to  become  a  brilliant  leader  in  the  struggle  for  freedom  ? 
Who,  that  General  Francis  Marion,  "'  the  swamp-fox  "  of 
the  South,  was  in  his  youth  a  seaman  and  in  subsequent 
life  a  farmer,  who  left  his  plow  to  fight  the  Indians,  there- 
by gaining  the  only  military  knowledge  and  experience 
that  he  possessed  as  the  preliminaries  of  the  great  part  he 
enacted  as  a  partisan  leader  in  the  battle-fields  of  the 
Southern  section  ?  Who,  that  his  celebrated  colleague, 
General  Thomas  Sumter,  was  originally  a  farmer,  who 
had  seen  some  practical  service  as  a  volunteer  in  the 
Braddock     expedition    and    in    fighting    the    Cherokee 


504  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Indians?  Or  what  American  can  ever  forget  that  Nathan 
Hale,  the  volunteer,  whose  rare  qualities  caused  his  selec- 
tion for  a  service  no  less  important  than  hazardous,  and 
who,  in  dying  upon  a  British  gibbet,  expressed  the  regret 
that  he  had  "only  one  life  to  give  to  his  country,"  was  an 
unpretending  school-teacher  with  no  military  knowledge 
nor  previous  experience  in  military  affairs  ? 

The  author  has  reserved  for  a  closing  notice  another 
of  the  prominent  generals  of  the  Revolution,  though  it  is 
much  to  be  regretted  that  with  the  mention  of  his  name 
the  voice  of  eulogy  must  be  hushed.  Major-General 
Charles  Lee  was  born  in  Eng-land  and  entered  the  En- 
glish  army  at  an  early  age,  and  he  received  such  military 
education  as  the  foremost  military  power  of  Europe  then 
bestowed  upon  those  entering  its  service.  Sent  by  his 
government  to  America  in  1754,  he  was  with  Braddbck 
at  the  battle  of  the  Monongahela,  and  was  subsequently 
wounded  in  an  attempt  upon  Ticonderoga.  Next  sent  to 
Portugal,  under  Burgoyne,  he  won  considerable  distinc- 
tion. A  few  years  later  he  became  a  major-general  in  the 
service  of  the  King  of  Poland,  but,  not  being  satisfied,  after 
roaming  over  Europe,  he  returned  to  England,  when  he 
was  made  a  lieutenant-colonel  and  placed  upon  half-pay. 
Disappointed  that  he  did  not  receive  expected  promotion, 
he  espoused  the  American  side  of  the  controversy  with 
the  mother  country,  undoubtedly  with  an  ulterior  pur- 
pose, considering  his  selfish  character.  After  some 
further  lapse  of  time  he  came  to  America  and  purchased 
land    in  Virginia.     After    the    battles  of   Lexington   and 


RECORD  OF  GEN.   CHARLES  LEE.  505 

Bunker  Hill,  Congress,  at  the  instance  of  his  friends,  made 
him  a  major-general,  when  he  at  once  resigned  his  com- 
mission in  the  English  and  entered  the  American  army. 
Possessed  of  fine  military  ability,  and  brave  as  he  was 
able,  his  first  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Americans  were  very 
successful ;  but  it  was  not  long  before  his  personal  ambi- 
tion began  the  destruction  of  his  usefulness.  In  pursuit  of 
his  own  purposes,  he  disregarded  the  repeated  injunctions 
of  Washington,  and,  being  taken  prisoner,  his  disobedience 
of  orders  prevented  the  colonists  from  reaping  a  well- 
earned  victory  at  Monmouth.  He  was  tried  by  court- 
martial  and  sentenced  to  suspension  from  his  command 
for  a  year.  Prior  to  these  occurrences  Lee  had  been 
engaged  in  a  conspiracy  with  General  Thomas  Conway 
and  others  to  cause  General  Washington  to  be  superseded 
by  the  utterly  incompetent  Horatio  Gates.  Conway, 
though  Irish  by  birth,  was  educated  for  the  army  in 
France,  and  received  from  that  government  a  decoration 
and  the  rank  of  captain.  Coming  to  America,  he  was 
made  a  major-general  in  1777,  and  was  at  Brandywine 
and  Germantown.  He  was  at  the  head  of  the  leag^ue  to 
displace  Washington,  which  was  known  as  the  "  Conway 
Cabal."  In  the  eyes  of  these  educated  military  men 
Washington  was  nothing  but  a  volunteer  of^cer,  wholly 
unfitted  for  his  exalted  position.  Who  can  doubt,  con- 
sidering the  character  of  these  conspirators,  that,  had 
their  scheme  been  successful,  the  Revolution  would  have 
terminated  in  defeat ;  or,  in  the  possible  event  of  suc- 
cess, that  a  form  of  government  entirely  different  from  the 


506  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

present  form  would  have  arisen  from  the  ashes  of  the  ex- 
tingruished  colonies  ? 

Lee,  Conway,  Gates,  were  educated  military  officers, 
and  they  were  soldiers  by  profession.  The  readiness  with 
which  they  shifted  their  obligations  proved  them  to  be 
mere  soldiers  of  fortune,  and  that  their  swords  would  serve 
the  cause  which  would  yield  to  them  the  greatest  considera- 
tion. They  possessed  no  elements  of  the  glorious  vohin- 
teei-  soldiei^,  who,  with  no  consideration  of  profession  or 
trade  to  inflame  ambition  and  to  create  a  thirst  for  per- 
sonal gain,  fights  for  principle,  for  truth,  for  honor,  for 
family,  for  country,  and  who,  when  his  cause  is  won,  doffs  his 
military  garb,  lays  away  the  sword  and  gun,  and  mingles 
with  his  fellow-citizens  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  indus- 
trial life.  It  is  not  possible  for  a  Napoleon  to  be  made 
from  the  material  of  the  American  volunteer.  The 
Napoleon  must  be  a  soldier  by  profession  in  a  country 
wherein  the  army  is  omnipotent,  and  he  must  spring,  not 
from  the  ranks  composed  of  men  of  whom  Captain  Nathan 
Hale  was  a  fair  representative,  but  from  those  of  which 
Charles  Lee  and  Thomas  Conway  were  legitimate  off- 
spring. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  WAR  OF    l8l2 THE    VOLUNTEER  UPON  THE  SEA THE 

WONDERFUL   ACHIEVEMENTS   OF    PAUL   JONES THE    VIC- 
TORY   OF    THE    CONSTELLATION    OVER    THE    l'iNSURGENTE 

THE  AMERICAN   SAILOR  ISAAC    HULL VICTORY  OF  THE 

"OLD    ironsides"    OVER    THE    GUERRIERE REMARKABLE 

CAPTURES    BY    COMMODORE    PORTER   WITH    THE    ESSEX 

THE      ACHIEVEMENTS      OF      DECATUR THE       THRILLING 

EXPLOITS  OF  CAPTAIN  ISAAC  JONES BRILLIANT  ACHIEVE- 
MENTS OF  THE  AMERICAN  NAVY. 

WITHIN  less  than  a  g-eneration  from  the  close  of 
the  Revolutionary  contest,  the  American  volun- 
teer was  agfain  called  to  arms  for  the  War  of  1812. 
This  war,  as  has  been  remarked  elsewhere  in  the  present 
pages,  should  not  have  taken  place.  It  was  a  useless, 
profitless,  not  to  say  causeless,  contest.  Wrong"  existed, 
undoubtedly,  but  it  was  such  wrong  as  two  intelligent 
nations  could  easily  have  removed  without  an  appeal  to 
arms.  But  the  war  came,  and  the  volunteer  again  sprang 
to  the  defense  of  his  country. 

The  emergency  found  us  precisely  where  we  had  been 
at  the  beginning  of  the  struggle  for  independence,  with 
strong  latent  military  power,  but  with  undisciplined  troops 
and    no  organized    system    for  the  arming,  moving,  and 

maintenance  of  a  large  army.     As   it  requires  from  one 

507 


508'  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

and  a  half  to  two  years  of  active  field  experience  to  bring- 
to  a  condition  of  full  effectiveness  raw  levies  of  troops,  the 
first  results  of  the  conflicts  with  the  British  veterans  were 
generally  adverse  to  the  American  side.  The  contest, 
however,  was  destined  to  be  comparatively  brief,  though 
the  loss  of  life  and  the  destruction  of  property  which 
ensued  could  illy  be  afforded  by  the  young  Republic.  The 
circumstances  under  which  the  war  was  fought  by  both 
parties  render  their  consideration  in  connection  with  the 
more  immediate  purposes  of  the  present  volume  particu- 
larly favorable  to  the  author's  object.  These  conspired 
to  make  the  contest  naval  in  character  to  a  gfreat 
extent — that  is  to  say,  the  most  marked  successes 
of  the  war  upon  the  American  side,  and  those  prob- 
ably which  contributed  more  largely  than  the  successes 
upon  land  to  bring  it  to  a  speedier  termination,  were 
gained  upon  the  water.  This  fact  lies  directly  within 
the  lines  upon  which  the  author's  subject  is  being- 
treated. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war,  the  Academy  at 
West  Point  had  been  fairly  established  for  a  decade  of 
years,  and  some  of  the  graduates  of  the  institution  partici- 
pated in  the  several  campaigns.  With  the  exception  of 
the  old  plan  of  instruction  by  special  school-teachers, 
already  detailed  fully  in  the  preceding  pages,  there  was 
no  academic  system  of  naval  education  until  the  year 
1845,  '^t  which  time  the  Academy  at  Annapolis  was 
regularly  established,  as  has  been  heretofore  seen.  The 
bearings  of  this  fact  upon  the  author's  subject  will  pres- 


THE  ENGLISH  XA  V  Y  UNDER  ALE  RED.  509 

ently  form  an  interesting  topic  of  investigation  and  dis- 
course. 

As  regards  our  ancient  antagonist,  it  may  be  remarked 
that  the  insular  position  of  England  necessarily  made  of 
her  a  maritime  nation  from  a  very  early  period.  Her 
merchant  marine  has  constantly  kept  abreast  of  the  prog- 
ress in  naval  construction,  and  in  some  respects  it  may 
be  justly  alleged  that  she  has  led  that  progress.  The  form- 
ation of  her  navy  dates  back  to  the  time  of  Alfred  the 
Great,  who  began  its  regular  construction  under  the 
necessities  involved  in  the  defense  of  the  country  against 
Danish  invaders  as  well  as  against  pirates.  This  mon- 
arch has  been  called  the  first  English  admiral,  because  he 
was  the  first  English  sovereign  that  commanded  his  own 
fleet  in  battle.  From  the  time  of  Alfred  to  that  of 
Henry  VHI.,  the  condition  of  the  navy  fluctuated  through 
different  grades  of  efficiency.  When  the  latter  monarch, 
came  to  the  throne,  he  began  its  reorganization  and 
establishment  upon  a  basis  from  which  it  grew  to  be 
the  most  powerful,  all  things  considered,  of  that  time. 
It  was  under  the  splendid  reign  of  his  daughter  Elizabeth 
that  the  English  fleet  defeated  the  world-renowned  Span- 
ish Armada,  that  remarkable  naval  force,  which  comprised 
one  hundred  and  fifty  ships,  three  thousand  cannon,  and 
twenty  thousand  men. 

Though,  to  read  the  account  of  the  English  navy,  as  it 
existed  under  the  corrupt  reign  of  Charles  H.,  as  given 
by  Macaulay  in  his  history  of  England,  one  could  well 
imagine   that    he  was   perusing   an    American   campaign 


5IO  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AAIERICA. 

article  inveiofhino-  aorainst  bloated  contractors  and  dis- 
honest  government  officials,  yet,  undoubtedly,  since  that 
memorable  period  in  Elizabeth's  reign  England  has 
steadily  improved  and  increased  her  maritime  resources 
in  accordance  with  the  general  development  of  the  nation. 
She  has  claimed  that  the  sails  of  her  merchant  marine 
"whiten  every  sea,"  while  the  proud  "wooden  walls" 
inspired  respectful  awe  in  every  would-be  foe  until  the 
battle  between  the  Monitor  and  Merrimac,  in  Hampton 
Roads,  incontinently  threw  them  down  with  a  suddenness 
of  effect  strongly  resembling  the  result  of  the  angel's 
blast  before  the  gates  of  Jericho. 

When  the  War  of  1812  was  fought,  however,  the  age 
of  steam  and  of  iron  ships  had  not  yet  arrived,  and  Eng- 
land proclaimed  herself  then,  as  now,  to  be  "mistress  of 
the  seas." 

The  American  colonists  were  navigators  to  a  certain 
extent,  from  the  earliest  settlements  upon  the  Atlantic 
seaboard.  This  circumstance  arose  from  the  necessities 
of  trade  amongst  them,  and,  in  order  to  protect  their 
craft,  as  well  as  the  settlements,  from  the  incursions  of 
freebooters  and  hostile  Indians,  their  little  vessels  were 
variously  armed.  Nothing  like  a  navy  existed,  however, 
up  to  the  year  1775.  As  soon  as  it  was  possible  to  make 
any  move  in  the  matter,  Congress  took  steps,  after  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  toward  the  formation  and  organiza- 
tion of  a  naval  force.  Twenty  cruisers  had  been  built  by 
the  close  of  the  year  1775.  The  first  ensign  displayed  by 
an  American  man-of-war  was  hoisted  by  the  remarkable 


THE  AMERICAN  NAVY  IN  \%\2.  5  I  I 

John  Paul  Jones  on  board  his  ship,  the  Alfred.  Upon  his 
first  cruise  he  captured  no  less  than  sixteen  prizes  belong- 
inor  to  the  British  merchant  service.  The  feats  of  this 
plucky  seaman  in  the  Bon  Hoimne  Richard  never  pall  in 
interest  by  repetition  in  the  American  ear.  Small  and 
insufficient  as  was  considered  the  American  navy  during 
the  Revolution,  it  nevertheless  swept  the  seas  of  British 
merchant  ships,  and  even  made  descents  upon  the  coasts 
of  the  British  isles.  The  number  of  prizes  captured 
during  the  first  year  of  the  Revolution  was  342,  and 
during  the  second  year  467. 

By  the  close  of  the  year  1 798,  in  view  of  the  probable 
war  with  France,  the  Republic  had  gotten  twenty-three 
men-of-war  upon  the  water,  the  invincible  character  of  this 
little  navy  with  its  brave  seamen  being  well  reflected  in 
the  brilliant  engagement  between  the  Constellation  and 
the  French  frigate  L' Insurgent e,  which  resulted  in  the 
capture  of  the  latter  by  the  American  ship. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  War  of  181 2,  our  navy  con- 
sisted of  about  seventeen  efficient  vessels,  eight  of  these 
being  frigates.  With  this  small  force  upon  the  water, 
our  brave  seamen  proposed  to  meet  a  foe  whose  boast  it 
was  that  "Britannia  rules  the  wave."  With  powerful  and 
numerous  ships,  manned  by  educated  officers  and  by  vet- 
eran seamen,  well  disciplined  through  long  service  and 
experience,  the  haughty  Britons  declared  that  they  would 
soon  sweep  "the  little  bits  of  striped  bunting"  of  the 
Yankees  from  the  seas. 

After  the  surrender  of  Detroit,  at  the  very  commence- 


512  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

ment  of  the  war,  and  the  subsequent  reverses  to  the 
American  arms  along  the  Canadian  border,  the  country 
was  cast  into  the  deepest  gloom.  Thoughtful  men  of  all 
parties  now  realized  the  extreme  folly  of  plunging  the 
new  Republic,  wholly  unprepared  with  disciplined  troops 
and  munitions  of  war,  into  a  conflict  with  a  nation  like 
Great  Britain,  engaged  though  she  was  in  a  war  in  Eu- 
rope—  a  nation  as  unscrupulous  as  powerful,  since  she 
made  no  concealment  of  a  purpose  to  let  loose  upon  the 
Americans  a  savage  foe  who  neither  knew  nor  cared  for 
the  rules  and  amenities  of  civilized  warfare.  If,  within 
the  first  three  months  from  the  declaration  of  war,  the 
United  States  could  have  receded  with  honor  from  her 
position,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  public  sentiment  in 
that  direction  was  sufficiently  strong  to  have  compelled 
the  Government  to  do  so.  In  this  condition  of  despond- 
ency and  crimination,  a  light  of  hope  suddenly  flashed 
from  the  waters  of  the  ocean,  and  the  thunders  of  battle 
announced  that  the  American  navy  had  been  heard  from. 
The  Constitution,  commanded  by  Captain  Isaac  Hull, 
encountered  in  her  cruise  the  G7iemHerey  one  of  the  best 
and  finest  frigates  of  the  British  navy.  The  English 
commander  Immediately  prepared  to  bag  his  game.  The 
Yankee  captain  maneuvered  skillfully  for  position,  and  for 
some  time  received  the  British  fire  without  returnino;  it. 
Broadside  after  broadside  was  poured  into  the  American 
ship,  and  still  the  brave  Hull  made  no  response.  But 
when  the  opportune  moment  arrived  the  fire  from  the 
American    became    terrific.       For    fifteen    minutes     Hull 


AMERICAN  SAILORS  ASTONISH   TJJE    IVORLD.  513 

poured  his  broadsides  into  the  enemy,  with  hardly  a 
moment's  intermission  in  the  dreadful  roar  of  his  guns. 
At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  had  swept  away  the  enemy's 
mizzen-mast  and  got  his  opponent  under  a  raking  fire. 
This  was  poured  into  the  Guerriere  for  fifteen  minutes 
longer,  when,  with  his  masts  and  every  spar  gone,  his 
decks  wet  with  blood,  and  his  vessel  so  near  sinking  that 
a  few  more  shots  would  have  carried  it  down,  the  aston- 
ished Briton  surrendered  to  an  enemy  whose  fine  seaman- 
ship and  courage  were  a  portentous  revelation. 

The  news  of  this  unexpected  victory  created  the  wild- 
est enthusiasm  throughout  the  country.  Among  the  Euro- 
pean nations,  by  which  the  English  ships  and  sailors  had 
been  considered  invincible,  the  surprise  was  unbounded, 
and  the  American  naval  power  came  to  be  considered  the 
phenomenon  of  maritime  warfare.  But  the  exhibition  of 
this  gigantic  power  was  not  destined  to  rest  for  full  vindi- 
cation upon  a  single  showing  in  battle.  A  series  of  the 
most  remarkable  exploits  in  naval  contests  continually 
sent  the  exciting  thrill  of  victory  through  the  American 
pulse,  and  as  continually  electrified  the  British  foe  and 
the  fighting  nations  of  the  Old  World. 

The  Essex,  under  Commodore  Porter,  fell  In  with  the 
fleet  of  a  frigate.  Keeping  at  a  safe  distance  until  night, 
the  dashing  seaman  rushed  In  and  captured  a  brig  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men  aboard,  subsequently  receiv- 
ing a  handsome  ransom  for  the  ship  after  paroling  the 
men  on  oath  not  to  serve  again  during  the  war.  In  his 
letter   to    the    Secretary    of   the    Navy  the    Commodore 


514  ^-^-^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

legretted  that  he  had  not  had  a  sloop  with  him,  as  he  would 
have  been  able  in  that  event  to  "surround"  and  capture 
the  whole  fleet. 

Running  across  the  British  sloop-of-war  Alert,  the 
commander  of  the  latter,  who  was  out  in  search  of  "bits 
of  striped  bunting,"  sent  a  broadside  into  the  Essex. 
Porter  took  the  British  vessel  in  a  very  short  engage- 
ment, capturing  over  five  hundred  prisoners  with  it. 

Following  close  upon  these  events  came  the  record  of 
a  splendid  achievement  by  Commodore  Decatur.  Being 
in  command  of  the  President,  Decatur  fell  in,  off  the  West- 
.ern  Islands,  with  the  British  frigate  Macedonian,  carry- 
ing forty-nine  guns  and  three  hundred  men.  Being  a 
vessel  of  the  largest  class,  and  manned  by  a  veteran  crew, 
her  commander  expected  to  make  short  work  of  the 
A.merican.  The  sea  was  rough,  and  the  Briton  had  the 
advantage  of  a  position  to  the  windward.  The  superi- 
ority of  the  American  gunnery  in  this  action  was  an 
additional  source  of  surprise.  The  guns  were  served 
with  remarkable  effect,  while  the  rapidity  of  their  blaze 
induced  the  enemy  to  believe  at  one  time  that  the 
American  was  on  fire.  The  fight,  owing  to  the  roughness 
of  the  sea,  took  place  at  long  range,  and  at  the  end  of 
two  hours  the  Briton  surrendered,  after  he  had  suffered 
a  loss  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  men  killed  and 
wounded,  and  when  his  ship's  masts  had  been  shot  away 
and  the  hull  riddle-^  v^ith  shot.  The  American  ship  suf- 
fered so  little  from  the  enemy's  fire  that  she  was  not  com- 
pelled to  go  to  port,  while  she  only  lost  five  seamen  in 


BRITANNIA  'S  RULE  OF  THE    IVA  VE  DISPUTED.  5  I  5 

the  action.  The  Macedo7iian  was  subsequently  repaired, 
and  added  to  the  American  fleet. 

Tlie  tremendous  sensation  caused  by  this  affair  was 
still  unabated  when  the  news  of  the  exploit  of  Captain 
Isaac  Jones  was  received  to  rekindle  the  general  rejoicing. 
Jones  was  In  command  of  the  sloop-of-war  Wasp,  which 
had  suffered  considerably  in  her  rigging  during  bad 
weather,  and,  before  he  had  had  time  to  repair  damage,  he 
fell  in  with  the  British  brig  Frolic,  of  twenty-two  guns,  con- 
voying a  fleet  of  merchant  ships.  Though  the  sea  was 
exceedingly  rough,  and  the  Wasp  not  in  her  best  fighting 
trim.  Captain  Jones  prepared  for  action.  The  gunnery 
of  the  Americans,  in  this  as  in  the  previous  case,  was 
remarkable.  The  Briton  fired  invariably  as  his  vessel 
rose  from  the  water,  and  thus  the  damage  he  inflicted 
was  largely  expended  upon  the  masts  and  rigging  of  the 
American.  Captain  Jones,  upon  the  contrary,  fired  as 
his  vessel  sank  and  thtis  poured  his  shot  into  the  enemy's 
hull.  When  the  American  finally  got  alongside  of  the 
Frolic  to  board  her  it  was  found  that  there  were  no 
British  seamen  left  on  deck  to  pull  down  the  flag.  The 
engagement  lasted  forty-three  minutes,  and  was  one  of 
the  bloodiest  upon  record,  considering  the  number  of 
men  engaged.  The  brilliancy  of  this  exploit  could  not  be 
dimmed  by  the  circumstance  that  the  Wasp  and  her  prize 
were  both  taken  upon  the  same  day  by  a  British  seventy- 
four. 

Within  six  months  from  the  declaration  of  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  the  boast  of 


5l6  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

the  latter  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  seas  had  not  only 
been  disputed,  but  entirely  disproved,  by  a  nation  not  yet 
counting  three  decades  of  an  autonomous  existence. 
The  powers  of  Europe,  which  had  long  accepted  the 
naval  pretension  of  England,  could  not  understand  it,  and 
the  English  people  themselves  were  as  much  befogged  in 
an  attempted  explanation  as  were  all  others.  Between 
the  months  of  June  and  November,  comprising  the  first 
five  months  of  hostilities,  some  two  hundred  and  fifty 
vessels  were  captured  by  the  American  volunteer  navy, 
and  over  three  thousand  prisoners  were  taken.  Of 
the  vessels  taken  nearly  sixty  were  armed,  with  a 
total  armament  of  nearly  six  hundred  of  the  best  guns 
made  at  that  time.  In  order  to  ascertain  the  causes  of 
the  unexpected  results  of  the  encounters  between  the 
American  and  British  vessels,  the  English  Government 
raised  committees  of  investigation,  with  a  hope  of  solving 
the  secret  of  the  extraordinary  skill  of  the  American  sea- 
men in  the  tactical  management  of  their  ships  and  in  the 
destructive  character  of  their  gunnery.  The  result  of  the 
investigations,  in  the  language  of  a  writer  of  that  day, 
was  a  recommendation  to  the  Navy  Board  "to  put  their 
heroes  again  to  school  that  they  might  learn  to  cope 
with  this  new,  this  subtle  and  most  extraordinary  enemy." 
The  most  inexplicable  part  of  it  all  was  that  this  remark- 
able enemy,  so  difficult  to  comprehend,  possessed  no 
naval  schools.  During  the  war  of  the  Revolution  Eng- 
land had  come  to  understand  thoroughly  the  problem  of 
the  volunteer  soldiery  of  America.     Through  the  brilliant 


omnipresencj:  of  the  American  rifleman.       5 1 7 

campaigns  of  Washington,  campaigns  not  less  brilliant 
under  defeat  than  when  accompanied  with  victory;  through 
the  campaign  against  Burgoyne,  when  Schuyler  and  his 
brave  men  obstructed  the  advance,  and  Stark  with  his  glo- 
rious Green  Mountain  volunteers  completely  crippled  the 
expedition  by  the  blow  at  Bennington ;  and  through  the 
campaign  of  Greene  in  the  South,  which  resulted  in  driv- 
ing Cornwallis  to  his  doom  at  Yorktown,  the  English 
Government  had  learned  the  remarkable  characteristics 
of  the  force  with  which  it  had  been  contendinsf.  Its 
soldiers  had  frequently  seen  the  American  army,  with 
Vv^hich  a  battle  had  just  been  fought,  reduced  to  a  mere 
handful  of  half-starved  men  —  men  who,  as  Washington 
said,  "literally  served  in  the  field,  since  most  of  them  had 
no  tents  to  cover  them,"-^  and  who  were  so  driven  by  lack 
of  proper  supplies  that  the  great  General  at  one  time 
declared  they  would  have  "to  starve,  to  dissolve,  or  to 
disperse  in  quest  of  food."-  But  the  same  English  sol- 
diers had  seen  this  handful  of  men  so  augmented  or 
swelled  in  numbers  during  a  single  night  or  day  that 
they  were  able  to  achieve  a  victory  at  the  very  time  their 
enemies  were  congratulating  themselves  upon  the  ease 
with  which  they  would  be  able  to  capture  the  whole  force. 
The  English  subjugators  found  that  in  the  rebellious 
land  every  man  was  a  soldier  when  occasion  demanded, 
and  during  many  a  sad  experience  they  had  seen  that 
every  tree,  every  nook,  and  every  rock  concealed  a  foe 
with  deadly  missile. 


^History  of  the  United  States,  Doyle.  2  Ibid. 


5l8  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

But  all  this  had  been  upon  terra  firma,  and  not  upon 
the  sea  or  lakes,  the  navigation  of  which  involves  suitable 
vessels,  with  the  knowledge  of  their  sailing  and  manage-, 
ment,  and  the  fighting  of  a  battle  upon  the  water  requir- 
ing ordnance  and  technical  knowledge  as  well  as  practical 
experience,  in  order  that  it  may  be  effectively  served  from 
the  ever-changing  position  of  a  ship  upon  the  water.  The 
problem  was  wholly  different  from  that  of  thirty  years 
before.  There  could  be  but  one  explanation  of  the  case 
entertained  by  the  arrogant  Englishman  —  the  disasters  to 
the  British  ships  were  the  result  of  accident,  and  it  was  im- 
possible that  they  should  be  repeated.  Systematic  naval 
education  and  veteran  discipline  would  obviate  it  all,  and 
the  Yankee  sailors  would  soon  be  swept  from  the  waters. 

This  prediction  was  not  destined  to  be  realized.  The 
English  vessels  in  squadron  ravaged  the  x^tlantic  coast, 
and  in  the  burning  of  defenseless  towns  committed  acts  of 
vandalism  for  which  the  English  may  yet  suffer  through 
the  precedent  then  established.  One  of  the  most  flagrant 
of  these  acts  was  the  destruction  of  the  National  Capital, 
with  the  wanton  burning  of  the  Government  archives. 
But  all  of  this  destruction  was  accomplished  by  fleets  of 
vessels,  the  enemy  never  daring  to  risk  an  equal  naval  en- 
gagement. When  our  brave  seamen  had  an  opportunity  to 
meet  the  enemy's  vessels  upon  anything  approaching  fair 
conditions,  the  result  was  almost  always  in  our  favor. 

The  third  naval  triumph  of  the  Americans  took  place 
in  the  capture  of  the  British  frigate  Java  off  the  coast  of 
Salvador.     This  vessel  was  armed  with  fort3'-nine  guns  and 


"DON'T  GIVE  UP  THE  SHIP."  519 

manned  by  a  crew  of  four  hundred  men.  The  Constitution 
—  "Old  Ironsides"  —  commanded  by  Bainbridge,  again 
covered  herself,  as  well  as  the  officers  and  crew,  with  imper- 
ishable fame.  After  this  the  Hor^iet,  commanded  by 
Captain  Lawrence,  ever  to  be  remembered  in  American 
annals  by  his  dying  order  upon  a  subsequent  occasion  — 
"  Don't  give  up  the  ship! " — -  captured  the  English  brig  Res- 
olution,  of  ten  guns,  and  with  nearly  $25,000  on  board. 
Continuing  his  cruise  Captain  Lawrence  ran  across  the 
Peacocky  a  large  British  man-of-war  superior  to  the  Hornet 
in  force.  Lawrence  took  his  opponent  in  about  fifteen 
minutes  after  the  action  began,  killing  the  captain,  and 
killing  or  wounding  the  greater  portion  of  the  crew.  The 
Enterpi^ise,  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Burrows,  made  a 
prize  of  the  British  man-of-war  Boxe7\  The  gallant 
Porter  cleared  the  South  Atlantic  and  South  Pacific  of 
British  merchant  ships  while  cruising  in  the  Essex,  and 
was  denounced  by  the  English  Government  in  conse- 
quence thereof  as  a  pirateo  It  required  the  combined 
attack  of  two  of  the  best  English  ships  to  finally  capture 
Porter  and  to  destroy  his  gallant  vessel.  During  the 
year  18 14,  our  naval  triumphs  upon  the  ocean  reached  a 
splendid  culmination,  and  furnished  a  fitting  supplement 
to  the  brilliant  victories  of  the  American  seamen  upon  the 
Northern  lakes.  During  the  year  named  the  American 
sloop  Peacock,  Captain  Warrington,  captured  the  Epervier, 
with  a  large  amount  of  money  on  board.  The  Wasp, 
under  Captain  Blakely,  having  taken  seven  merchantmen, 
captured  the  English  ship  Reindeer  after  a  gallant  action  of 


520  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

about  twenty  minutes,  during  which  more  than  half  of  the 
British  crew  were  killed  and  wounded.  The  Wasp  in  con- 
tinuing her  cruise  met  and  sank  the  British  man-of-war 
Avon,  captured  several  merchantmen,  but  never  returned 
to  port,  her  fate  and  that  of  her  gallant  commander  and 
crew  being  a  mystery  to  the  present  day.  As  a  close 
to  the  list  of  victories  by  our  infant  navy  in  the  year  1814, 
the  ConstiHition,  under  Captain  Stewart,  captured  two  of 
the  enemy's  ships  sailing  in  consort  —  the  frigate  Cyane 
of  thirty-four  guns,  and  the  sloop-of-war  Levant,  of 
eighteen  thirty-two-pound  carronades  ;  while  the  Hornety 
under  Captain  Biddle,  captured  the  British  man-of-war 
Penguin,  of  eighteen  guns  and  a  twelve-pound  carronade. 

The  foregoing  commentary  upon  the  remarkable  vic- 
tories upon  the  sea  won  by  a  young  nation  from  the  first 
naval  power  of  the  world  is  confined  in  its  narrative  to  the 
achievements  of  what  is  called  the  "  regular"  navy.  But, 
as  is  well  known,  the  achievements  of  these  were  supple- 
mented by  the  important  service  rendered  by  the  volunteer 
navy,  composed  of  daring  spirits  who,  under  authority  of 
letters-of-marque,  struck  the  enemy,  through  his  com- 
merce, upon  every  sea  and  in  almost  every  port.  The 
exploits  of  these  skillful  navigators  and  brave  men  carried 
consternation  to  the  foe,  and  added  increased  renown  to 
the  naval  power  of  the  United  States. 

In  dlsreg-ard  of  chronoloo^Ical  order  it  has  been  re- 
served  by  the  author  as  a  closing  comment  upon  the 
glories  of  our  sailor  army  of  the  War  of  18 12  to  mention 
the  victories  upon    those    inland    seas  of    America,  the 


AMERICAN  SAILORS  ON  NORTHERN  LAKES.  52I 

lakes  upon  our  northern  frontier.  Of  these  victories  two 
were  of  especial  importance  to  the  American  cause, 
because  of  the  decisiveness  of  their  character  and  results 
—  those  of  the  fleet  under  Perry  and  of  the  combined 
land  and  naval  forces  at  Plattsburgh. 

At  an  earlier  date  Captain  Chauncey  had  rendered  in- 
finite service  to  the  land  forces  in  various  engagements 
upon  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  but  with  the  progress  of 
the  war  the  British  naval  force  had  become  so  greatly  in- 
creased that  the  necessity  to  meet  it  upon  something  like 
equal  terms  became  very  apparent.  The  work  of  pre- 
paring a  fleet  was  intrusted  to  Captain  Perry,  who  suc- 
ceeded by  dint  of  great  enterprise  in  getting  it  in  a  state 
of  readiness  during  the  first  week  of  August,  1813.  He 
at  once  began  a  search  for  the  enemy,  and  upon  the  morn- 
ing of  September  10  the  American  and  British  fleets  met 
upon  the  broad  waters  of  Lake  Erie  to  test  the  question 
of  naval  superiority.  The  previous  victories  of  the 
Americans  upon  the  ocean  had  been  gained  in  contests 
between  single  ships,  and  now  a  test  of  the  ability  of  our 
seamen  to  conduct  a  contest  in  fleet  was  to  be  decided. 
The  surprising  result  of  that  test  is  well  known  to  every 
American.  The  British  fleet,  commanded  by  an  ofificer 
who  had  won  distinction  at  Trafalgar,  and  greatly  superior 
to  the  American  fleet  in  size  of  vessels  and  number  of 
guns,  was  beaten  by  the  American  commander  and  his 
gallant  men,  who  captured  every  vessel  of  the  enemy's 
fleet — such  a  result  having  been  until  then  unknown  in 
naval  warfare. 


522  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

The  victory  at  Plattsburgh  gave  a  crowning  glory  to 
the  achievements  of  our  naval  forces.  Sir  George  Pre- 
vost,  commanding  the  British  fleet,  conceived  the  renewal 
of  the  strategic  movement  attempted  during  the  Revolu- 
tion by  Burgoyne,  whereby  the  line  of  the  Hudson  River 
might  be  seized  and  held  as  the  base  of  hostile  operations 
against  the  sections  of  the  country  lying  upon  either  side  of 
it.  The  termination  of  the  war  with  Napoleon  in  March, 
1 8 14,  which  resulted  in  sending  the  wonderful  French 
General  to  the  Island  of  Elba,  enabled  the  English  Gov- 
ernment to  dispatch  strong  reinforcements  against  the 
Americans,  The  Army  of  the  Garonne,  which  had  won 
such  distinction  under  Wellington,  was  transferred  to 
Canada,  and,  in  order  to  enable  Sir  George  Prevost  to 
successfully  carry  out  the  important  campaign  in  contem- 
plation, some  fourteen  thousand  of  these  troops  were 
assigned  to  his  command.  The  garrison  of  Plattsburgh 
was  first  to  be  reduced.  On  the  3d  of  September  the 
British  land  forces  began  the  investment  of  the  town  of 
Plattsburgh,  and,  though  annoyed  and  retarded  by  the 
American  troops,  the  English  took  possession  of  it,  while 
our  own  small  force  retreated  to  the  works  located  upon 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  Saranac  River,  just  at  the  point 
where  it  empties  into  Lake  Champlain.  The  fleet  which 
the  English  brought  to  cooperate  with  their  land  force 
consisted  of  the  frigate  Cofifiance,  with  thirty-nine  guns, 
twenty-seven  of  which  were  twenty-four-pounders ;  the 
brig  Linnety  of  sixteen  guns  ;  the  sloops  Chub  and  Finch, 


THE  IIlSrORIC  HUDSON  LINE  AGAIN.  523 

each  carrying  eleven  guns ;  and  thirteen  galleys,  five  of 
which  carried  two  guns  and  the  others  one.^ 

The  fortifications,  commanded  by  the  gallant  General 
Macomb,  were  garrisoned  by  a  force  of  regular  troops  not 
exceeding  1,500  in  number;  but  this  force,  when  news 
of  the  attack  was  fairly  confirmed,  was  gradually  aug- 
mented to  a  surprising  degree  by  the  flocking  in  of  the 
militia  from  New  York  and  Vermont,  and  of  the  mysteri- 
ous and  omnipresent  volunteer,  who  came  with  his  rifle 
and  provisions,  prepared  to  give  Prevost  the  reception 
which  Burgoyne  had  received  some  thirty-seven  years 
before. 

The  American  fleet,  which  was  commanded  by  Com- 
modore Macdonough,  had  also  to  a  large  extent  been  im- 
provised by  that  brave  and  capable  officer.  One  of  the 
vessels  of  his  fleet  had  been  constructed  with  such  rapidity 
that,  only  eighteen  days  before  it  was  taken  into  action, 
the  timber  of  which  it  was  built  had  been  growing  in  the 
tree  upon  the  shores  of  the  lake.^  The  fleet,  however, 
was  inferior  to  that  of  the  British,  the  guns  of  the  latter 
numbering  ninety-five,  while  those  of  the  American  num- 
bered eighty-six,  and  the  number  of  the  seamen  of  the 
British  amounting  to  upward  of  one  thousand,  while  that 
of  the  American  fleet  only  comprised  about  eight  hundred. 

Under  this  state  of  things  the  action  for  the  reduction 
of  the  forts  was  begun  by  Sir  George  Prevost  with  his 
land  forces,  while  the  two  fleets  engaged  each  other  upon 


1  History  of  the  War  of  1812,  Brackenridge.     ^  Ibid. 


524  "^HE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA, 

the  lake.  The  whole  importance  of  the  contest  centered 
in  the  battle  between  the  rival  fleets,  as  without  the 
supremacy  of  the  lake  the  campaign  of  Prevost  must  fail 
to  attain  the  desired  result.  During  the  progress  of  the 
naval  conflict  three  separate  attempts  were  made  by  the 
troops  of  Prevost  to  cross  the  river  in  order  to  storm  the 
American  works,  each  attempt  being  defeated  with  loss  to 
the  enemy.  One  of  these  attempts  consisted  of  the  effort 
to  cross  by  a  ford  some  three  miles  above  the  works. 
This  ford,  however,  was  defended  by  a  body  of  militia 
and  volunteers  posted  in  the  adjoining  wood,  who  poured 
such  a  deadly  fire  into  the  storming  detachment  that  it 
retreated  in  the  greatest  disorder,  with  a  loss  of  one-half 
its  numbers. 

The  course  of  the  action  between  the  fleets  soon 
shifted  the  brunt  of  battle  upon  the  two  principal  ships 
of  the  contending  parties  —  the  American  ship  Saratoga 
and  the  British  frigate  Co7ifiance.  Two  circumstances 
strongly  operated  in  favor  of  the  enemy :  first,  the  supe- 
rior weight  of  his  guns ;  and  second,  the  mistake  of  the 
commander  of  the  American  ship  Eagle,  who,  in  shifting 
his  vessel  from  the  prescribed  line  of  action,  exposed  the 
Saratoga  to  a  strong  fire  from  the  enemy.  Both  of  the 
contending  vessels  suffered  fearfully,  the  battery  of  each 
upon  the  starboard  side  having  been  wholly  dismounted 
and  rendered  unserviceable.  In  this  emergency,  the 
whole  result  of  the  conflict  depended  upon  the  execution 
of  a  movement  considered  to  be  one  of  the  most  difficult 
in  the  range  of  ship-management.     This  movement  con- 


A  S  TON  I  SB  ING  NA  VA  L  BA  T  TLE  A  T  PLA  TTSB  URGH.        525 

sisted  of  the  attempt  to  wind  the  vessel  around  so  as  to 
bring  the  port  side,  with  its  battery  of  guns,  to  bear  upon 
the  enemy.  The  Conjiance  made  the  attempt  to  accom- 
pHsh  the  movement,  with  the  most  determined  persist- 
ence, but  wholly  failed  of  success.  The  Saratoga  exe- 
cuted the  movement  with  such  celerity  that  in  a  very 
short  time  she  was  enabled  to  pour  her  port-broadsides 
into  the  Conjiance  with  such  terrible  effect  that  the  latter 
soon  struck  her  flag  to  the  gallant  American,  and  within 
thirty  minutes  afterward  every  vessel  of  the  British  fleet 
surrendered. 

This  gallant  naval  action — gallant  upon  both  sides  — 
was  one  of  the  most  destructive,  considering  the  number 
of  ships  and  men  engaged,  upon  record.  When  the 
battle  was  over,  the  vessels  composing  both  squadrons 
lay  almost  helplessly  upon  the  water.  Masts  there  were 
none,  and  not  a  sailcloth  was  to  be  seen  in  either  fleet. 
The  hull  of  the  Saratoga  was  pierced  by  fifty-five  round 
shot,  while  the  Conjiance  W2is  riddled  with  one  hundred  and 
five  shot-holes.  The  total  loss  on  the  American  fleet  was 
about  fifty  killed  and  some  sixty  wounded.  The  enemy 
lost  eighty-five  in  killed  and  over  one  hundred  wounded. 
But  one  of  the  most  surprising  results  of  the  contest  con- 
sisted of  the  fact  that  the  number  of  prisoners  captured 
by  the  Americans,  some  eight  hundred  and  fifty  in  the 
total,  exceeded  the  whole  number  of  officers  and  men  in 
the  American  fleet. 

This  remarkable  conflict  at  and  before  Plattsburgh 
was  as  decisive  in  character  as  was  the  battle  of  Saratoga, 


526  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

fought  by  Burgoyne  in  1776.  In  the  total  defeat  and 
capture  of  the  British  fleet  on  Lake  Champlain,  Prevost 
bitterly  realized  the  failure  of  his  whole  scheme  of  inva- 
sion. It  then  became  with  him  no  longer  a  question  of 
hoped-for  victory,  but  the  result  of  the  naval  conflict  had 
rendered  it  a  question  how  to  get  out  of  the  position  that 
he  occupied,  in  order  that  his  army  might  be  saved  from 
capture  or  utter  annihilation.  His  own  force  had  attained 
its  numerical  maximum  with  the  commencement  of  the 
offensive  operations,  and  it  had  been  decreasing  through 
casualties  and  desertions  with  frightful  rapidity.  Not  so, 
however,  with  the  Americans.  Being  quite  unadvised  of 
the  intended  movement,  the  latter  were  wholly  unpre- 
pared for  it.  The  force  at  the  place,  as  before  said,  did 
not  exceed  fifteen  hundred  troops,  while  the  works  were 
in  no  condition  to  v»^ithstand  an  assault  in  force.  But 
from  the  hour  that  the  intention  of  the  enemy  became 
apparent,  the  American  army  began  to  grow  with  mush- 
room-like rapidity.  Sir  George  Prevost  beheld  it  swell- 
ing, like  the  incoming  tide,  with  every  leaping  wave.  He 
was  amazed  at  the  sight  which  presented  itself  to  his 
anxious  view.  "Who  are  these  men,  and  whence  do  they 
come?"  was  the  question  that  he  so  feverishl}^  put  to  his 
friends.  Some  of  them  were  able  to  afford  the  desired 
information,  as  they  had  had  some  previous  experience  with 
the  stern  citizen-soldier  of  the  United  States.  The  volun- 
teers confronted  Prevost  like  a  wall  of  granite ;  they 
hung  upon  his  rear,  and  swarmed  upon  his  flanks  until  his 
position  became  perilous  in  the  extreme.     In  this  emer- 


FLIGIir  OF  THE  BRITISH  INVADER.  527 

gency,  with  his  navy  swept  out  of  existence  by  a  foe  whom 
his  skilled  officers  and  crews  affected  to  despise,  and  his 
army  hourly  decreased  by  the  sharpshooters  of  the 
forest,  he  pursued  the  only  course  left  to  him.  Keep- 
ing- up  a  show  of  maintaining  the  offensive  during  the 
day,  when  night  drew  its  friendly  shadows  over  both 
armies,  and  left  the  spectral  hulks  upon  the  fair  bosom  of 
the  lake  as  ghostly  relics  of  the  strifes  of  men,  the  British 
army  took  to  hasty  flight,  abandoning  sick  and  wounded 
to  their  late  antagonists,  and  leaving  great  quantities  of 
arms  and  provisions  to  fall  into  their  hands.  But  they 
were  not  permitted  to  escape  as  easily  as  Prevost  had 
hoped.  With  the  quickness  of  the  panther  the  Ameri- 
cans were  upon  them,  and  before  the  British  army  had 
reached  a  position  of  security,  at  least  one  thousand  of  its 
fleeing  soldiers  had  been  picked  off  or  captured  by  the 
pursuing  avengers. 

Both  land  and  marine  forces  participated  in  the  glories  of 
the  day.  To  our  naval  fame  the  result  was  particularly  favor- 
able. It  was  the  second  time  during  the  existing  war  that  the 
sailors  of  the  United  States  had  confronted  the  veteran 
navy  of  Great  Britain  in  a  contest  between  squadrons, 
and  it  was  also  the  second  time  that  American  seaman- 
ship and  valor  had  humbled  the  pride  of  Albion  in  such  a 
test  of  superiority.  September  lo,  1813,  and  September 
II,  1814  —  the  first  being  the  date  of  Perry's  victory  on 
Lake  Erie,  and  the  second  that  of  Macdonough  on  Lake 
Champlain  —  mark  two  of  the  most  brilliant  events  in  the 
history  of  our  country. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    LOGIC    OF    THE    NAVAL    SUPERIORITY    OF    THE  AMERICAN 

VOLUNTEER   SAILOR THE  NAVAL  HEROES  OF   1 8X2,  AND 

OF   THE   AMERICAN   CIVIL   CONFLICT THE   LAND  VOLUN- 
TEERS     OF      l8l2 PROMINENT      VOLUNTEER     OFFICERS, 

WITH     A    SKETCH     OF     THEIR     PREVIOUS    HISTORY THE 

GALLANTRY  OF  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  RECOGNIZED  BY 

CONGRESS THE    MEXICAN      WAR ITS    INJUSTICE     AND 

UNPOPULARITY  AT  THE  NORTH THE  VOLUNTEER  OF  THE 

MEXICAN      WAR UNTRAINED,      BUT      INVINCIBLE THE 

VOLUNTEER     SOLDIERS    WINFIELD     SCOTT    AND     ZACHARY 
TAYLOR THE   REMARKABLE   CAREER  OF  JOHN   E.   WOOL. 

HE  repetition  of  well-known  facts  in  American  his- 
tory so  fully  detailed  in  the  preceding  chapter  has 
not  been  indulged  in  by  the  author  with  any  view  to  pre- 
sent these  facts  in  a  more  striking  shape  or  more  interest- 
ing form  than  may  be  found  in  the  standard  text-books  of 
the  schools,  or  in  the  more  voluminous  works  for  greater 
minuteness  of  instruction.  The  circumstances  related  by 
the  author  possess  in  themselves  an  absorbing  interest 
for  every  true  American.  The  author's  purpose  lies  within 
the  scope  of  two  reasons :  first,  as  has  already  been  inti- 
mated, up  to  the  period  of  the  War  of  1812  no  effort 
whatever  had  been  made  to  establish  a  distinct  educational 

system  for  naval  instruction,  in  consequence  of  which  such 

528 


THE  HERO  OF  LAKE  CIIAMPLAIN. 


529 


seamanship  and  naval  talent  and  ability  in  maritime  con- 
tests as  we  then  possessed,  when  contrasted  with  the  like 
attributes  or  qualifications  as  have  been  since  developed 
under  a  most  liberal  system  of  education,  must  precisely  rep- 
resent the  value,  or  perhaps  it  may  be  more  practically 
said,  the  necessity,  of  the  educational  system  established  in 
later  years;  and  second,  a  relation  of  those  inspiring 
deeds  of  our  gallant  sailors  affords  a  suitable  preface  to  an 
inquiry  into  the  personnel oi  America's  naval  heroes. 

Without  any  particular  order  of  arrangement,  some  of 
the  sailors  who  so  brilliantly  honored  themselves  and  their 
country  during  the  war  which  has  claimed  consideration 
in  the  preceding  pages  will  be  passed  under  brief  review 
in  the  present  chapter. 

And  first  of  the  hero  of  Lake  Champlain.  Commo- 
dore Thomas  Macdonough  was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary 
officer  who  after  the  close  of  hostilities  became  a  judge. 
With  the  mere  rudiments  of  an  English  education, 
young  Macdonough  entered  the  United  States  navy  at 
the  early  age  of  seventeen  years  as  midshipman,  and  on 
board  of  a  vessel  he  received  a  practical  education  in 
seamanship  and  the  art  of  naval  warfare.  He  was  an  apt 
pupil,  and  endowed  by  nature  'with  the  attributes  of  a  suc- 
cessful sailor.  He  saw  service  against  the  Barbary  pirates 
under  Decatur,  and  he  was  one  of  the  party  who  so  dar- 
ingly recovered  the  Philadelphia  and  assisted  in  her 
destruction  during  the  night  of  February  16,  1804,  before 
the  city  of  Tripoli. 

His  great   reputation   rests    upon  the   distinguished 


530  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

victory  which  he  achieved  on  Lake  Champlain  as  narrated 
in  the  last  chapter.  His  opponent  in  that  engagement 
was  Commodore  George  Downie,  an  experienced  officer 
of  the  British  navy  who  lost  his  life  during  the  action.  In 
appreciation  of  his  great  service  in  thwarting  at  the  outset 
a  most  dangerous  movement  the  American  Congress  pro- 
moted Macdonough,  and  presented  him  with  a  testimonial 
in  the  shape  of  a  gold  medal.  He  was  also  the  recipient 
of  various  civic  honors,  while  the  State  of  Vermont  pre- 
sented him  with  an  estate  overlooking  the  scene  of  the 
battle.  Had  he  been  a  less  skillful  seaman,  he  must  have 
failed  to  defeat  the  enemy  upon  the  occasion  referred  to. 
Oliver  H.  Perry,  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie,  received  the 
same  practical  naval  education  as  did  Macdonough.  He 
was  a  midshipman  at  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years,  and 
also  served  in  the  Barbary  war.  In  1812  he  had  charge 
of  a  flotilla  of  gun-boats  in  New  York  harbor,  and  early  in 
1 81 3  he  was  sent  to  serve  under  Chauncey,  on  Lake 
Ontario.  Later  in  the  same  year  he  was  given  the  com- 
mand of  the  squadron  on  Lake  Erie,  and,  having  gotten 
his  small  fleet  of  nine  vessels  equipped  and  ready  fo\ 
action,  he  fought  the  battle  and  achieved  the  brilliant 
victory  which  so  illuminates  the  naval  annals  of  our  coun- 
try. He  subsequently  assisted  General  Harrison  at  the 
re-taking  of  Detroit,  and  commanded  the  Java  in  Deca- 
tur's squadron  at  a  still  later  date.  His  victory  over  the 
foe  on  Lake  Erie  was  the  first  refutation  of  the  British 
slander  that  there  were  no  sailors  in  the  American  service 
sufficiently  versed  in  their  profession  to  enable  them  to 


I- 


I 


SKETCH  OF  OLIVER  II.  PERRY. 


531 


fight  in  squadron.  The  defeat  itself  amply  demonstrated 
the  great  ability  of  the  seaman  who  had  received  his  only 
education  upon  the  sea,  while  two  actions  of  his  in  con- 
nection with  the  battle  illustrate  his  gallantry  as  a  sol- 
dier and  the  rare  modesty  of  his  character  as  a  man.  No 
more  brilliant  act  of  daring  appears  in  the  naval  records 
of  the  world  than  that  of  Perry  in  passing  in  an  open 
boat,  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  from  his  disabled 
ship  to  the  Niagara,  to  which  latter  he  transferred  his- 
flag.  And  certainly  no  great  victory  was  ever  heralded  by 
conqueror  in  more  simple  and  modest  words  than  those 
used  by  Perry  in  announcing  the  result  of  the  battle  to 
General  Harrison.  After  his  defeat  of  the  Lydian  King, 
the  conquering  Caesar  wrote,  '*/  came,  /  saw,  /  con- 
quered." The  glorious  Perry  simply  said,  "  We  have  met 
the  enemy  and  they  are  ours,"  —  not  one  word  of  this 
remarkable  dispatch  containing  the  letter  /,  either  large 
or  small. 

Captain  Isaac  Chauncey,  the  third  of  the  great  naval 
commanders  who  reflected  such  honor  upon  the  Ameri- 
can navy  during  the  contest  of  1812-1814  upon  the 
waters  and  shores  of  the  Northern  lakes,  began  his  naval 
career  under  circumstances  still  less  favorable  to  a  scho- 
lastic training:  than  either  of  his  distinefuished  colleaofues 
Perry  and  Macdonough.  With  no  opportunities  whatever, 
for  the  acquisition  of  even  a  common-school  education, 
Chauncey  entered  the  merchant  service  at  a  very  early 
age.  So  rapidly  did  he  acquire  a  practical  knowledge  of 
his  profession  that  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  commanded 


532  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

a  ship  belonging  to  John  Jacob  Astor,  in  which  he  made 
regular  voyages  to  and  from  the  East  Indies.  Upon  the 
regular  organization  of  our  navy  Chauncey  possessed 
sufficient  influence  to  obtain  the  appointment  of  lieuten- 
ant, thus  skipping,  as  it  were,  the  preliminary  service  of  a 
midshipman  in  a  man-of-war.  As  the  development  of  his 
subsequent  brilliant  career  so  fully  demonstrated,  his  case 
was  but  another  example  of  the  certainty  with  which 
genius  in  any  direction  of  life  overleaps  adverse  con- 
ditions and  triumphantly  asserts  itself  in  spite  of  the  most 
formidable  obstacles.  He  acted  v/ith  great  gallantry  in 
several  affairs  off  the  coast  of  Tripoli  during  the  hostili- 
ties growing  out  of  the  outrages  upon  our  commerce  by 
the  rulers  of  that  benighted  state.  During  the  war  of 
1812  Chauncey  had  charge  of  our  naval  operations  on 
Lake  Ontario,  and  though  he  had  no  opportunity  to  dis- 
tinguish himself  by  a  single  great  and  decisive  battle, 
such  as  was  given  to  Macdonough  and  Perry,  his  brilliant 
service  was  continuously  rendered,  and  largely  con- 
tributed to  the  reaping  of  such  victories  as  really  crowned 
the  American  arms  within  the  scope  of  his  scene  of 
operations,  while  but  for  the  fleet,  which  he  so  ably 
handled,  the  damage  inflicted  on  us  in  that  quarter  would 
have  been  vastly  greater  than  it  was.  At  the  attack 
upon  and  capture  of  York,  now  Toronto,  the  capital  of 
Upper  Canada  and  the  general  depot  of  supplies  and 
stores  for  all  the  Western  British  ports,  he  rendered  the 
most  indispensable  service.  His  cooperation  at  the 
attack  upon  Fort  George  enabled  our  troops  to  capture 


SKETCH  OF  CAPT.  ISAAC  CIIAUNCEY.  533 

that  important  post,  the  effect  of  which  capture  was  to 
compel  the  British  to  evacuate  the  whole  Niagara  fron- 
tier. His  skill  in  his  profession,  and  the  dash  which 
distinguished  him  as  a  naval  captain,  were  remarkably 
manifested  in  his  campaigns  against  the  British  fleet  upon 
Lake  Ontario,  commanded  by  Sir  James  Yeo,  an  English 
naval  officer  of  long  experience  and  considerable  reputa- 
tion. With  a  fleet  never  superior,  and  generally  inferior  to 
that  of  Yeo,  Chauncey  kept  the  latter  continually  on  the 
run  to  avoid  an  engagement.  The  indefatigable  Ameri- 
can chased  the  Englishman  first  here  and  then  there,  in 
the  hope  to  bring  him  to  a  fight.  At  last  Chauncey  suc- 
ceeded in  overtaking  the  enemy  in  York  Bay,  and  imme- 
diately set  upon  him.  A  short  engagement  ensued,  during 
which  Chauncey  managed  his  flag-ship  with  such  admirable 
tactical  skill  that  his  achievements  in  that  direction  still 
form  a  subject  of  eulogy  among  naval  men.  Before  the 
whole  of  the  American  fleet  could  be  brought  into  action 
upon  this  occasion  Sir  James  Yeo  had  had  enough  of  it. 
Hoisting  all  sail,  he  started  for  the  cooler  regions  of  the 
lake,  and  with  a  favoring  gale,  which  rendered  pursuit 
impossible,  he  saved  his  fleet  from  the  destruction  which 
must  have  overtaken  it  at  the  hands  of  the  orallant  Ameri- 
can  and  his  men. 

Turning  now  in  the  review  of  the  naval  heroes  of 
181 2  from  the  interior  lakes  upon  the  north  to  the  mon- 
arch of  waters,  the  ever-rolling  ocean,  we  behold  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  commanders  that  ever  served  our 
country  —  Stephen  I)ecatur. 


534  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

The  history  of  this  gallant  seaman  as  it  is  applied  to 
his  early  preparation  for  his  subsequent  career  was  not 
different  from  that  of  Perry  and  Macdonough.  His 
primary  education  was  simply  such  as  the  undeveloped 
school-system  of  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century  afforded. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  was  appointed  midshipman  in 
the  navy,  and  his  education  as  a  sailor  and  an  officer  was 
practical  in  character.  The  gallant  services  rendered  by 
this  distinguished  officer  are  well  known  to  every  Amer- 
ican, and  need  no  repetition  here.  The  author  simply 
points  to  Decatur's  name  in  illustration  of  the  present  sub- 
ject of  inquiry  —  the  primal  conditions  underlying  the 
career  of  our  most  remarkable  naval  figfures. 

Isaac  Hull,  the  brilliant  commander  of  the  Consttiutton 
when  the  first  capture  of  the  War  of  1812  was  made  — 
that  of  the  Guerrzere-^yMdiS,  like  Chauncey,  a  seaman  in 
the  merchant  service  when  made  lieutenant  in  the 
American  navy.  He  had  no  preliminary  education  save 
that  which  he  had  obtained  on  board  his  ship.  His  cap- 
ture of  the  Gtierriere  gave  him  world-wide  fame,  and 
made  his  gallant  deed  the  subject  of  universal  conversa- 
tion and  praise  among  his  admiring  countrymen.  But  his 
great  fame  did  not  rest  upon  this  brilliant  exploit  alone. 
He  rendered  distinguished  service  upon  the  coast  of 
Barbary  in  the  first  years  of  the  present  century,  and 
before  the  celebrated  capture  with  which  his  name  will  be 
forever  associated  he  made  a  display  of  seamanship 
which  confounded  the  enemy  and  drew  forth  the  greatest 
admiration.     When  starting  upon  his  cruise  just  prior  to 


SKETCH  OF  ISAAC  HULL.  535 

the  capture  spoken  of,  Hull's  vessel  was  chased  by  a  whole 
squadron  of  British  ships,  and  his  capture  or  destruction 
seemed  inevitable.  Suddenly  there  fell  a  calm  of  wind, 
and   the  pursuers  and  pursued  lay  almost  as  quiet   and 

almost  as  idle 

"as  a  painted  ship 

Upon  a  painted  ocean." 

The  British  commander  took  little  heed  of  this,  feeling 
secure  in  the  belief  that  his  prey  was  within  his  easy 
grasp.  But  a  wonderful  sight  soon  met  his  astonished 
view.  In  the  deep  calm,  when  scarcely  enough  air  was  in 
motion  to  shake  the  folds  from  the  listless  flags  above, 
the  Yankee  ship  began  to  steal  away  with  the  noiseless 
tread  of  the  Arab.  Slowly  but  surely  away  she  went  until 
she  was  far  beyond  pursuit  by  the  petrified  Briton,  and 
nothing  was  again  heard  of  her  until  the  thrilling  capture 
of  the  Gue7^riere  became  generally  known.  The  ingenious 
Hull  had  escaped  from  the  British  squadron  by  a 
measure  as  novel  as  it  was  happy  in  conception.  This 
consisted  in  sending  small  boats  ahead  with  a  hedge,  and 
in  then  warping  the  ship  up  to  it.  This  operation  being 
continuously  repeated,  the  Constitution  walked  away  from 
the  becalmed  English  ship,  leaving  its  officers  wholly  in 
ignorance  of  the  agency  through  which  it  had  been 
accomplished. 

Captain  James  Lawrence,  of  fragrant  memory  among 
his  admiring  countrymen,  was  educated  with  a  view  to  the 
study  and  practice  of  law.  At  an  early  age,  however,  he  gave 
unmistakable  evidence  of  the  bent  of  his  inclination  for  the 


536  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

life  of  a  sailor,  and  when  free  to  do  so  by  the  death  of  a 
father,  who,  however  good  the  intention,  endeavored  to 
subvert  the  genius  of  his  boy  into  a  channel  through 
which  it  was  not  designed  to  run,  he  adopted  it.  His 
preliminary  naval  education  was  obtained  as  a  midship- 
man upon  a  man-of-war.  The  reader  is  well  acquainted 
with  his  brilliant  career  up  to  the  moment  of  his  unfortu- 
nate end,  when,  before  expiring,  he  uttered  the  memor- 
able words  which  have  become  the  motto  of  the  American 
navy  —  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship  ! " 

Commodore  William  Bainbridge,  another  of  the  dis- 
tinguished naval  heroes  of  our  country,  went  to  sea  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  in  a  merchantman,  and  in  three  years 
afterward  he  was  intrusted  with  the  command  of  a  mer- 
chant vessel,  continuing  in  that  service  for  an  additional 
period  of  five  years,  when  he  was  appointed  to  command 
the  Retaliation,  of  the  United  States  navy.  His  subse- 
quent brilliant  career  in  the  navy  of  his  country  from  the 
years  1798  to  1821  is  matter  of  our  general  history. 

Commodore  Jacob  Jones,  another  of  the  naval  com- 
manders whose  rare  seamanship  and  ability  lent  such  re- 
nown to  the  navy  during  the  period  under  review,  had  an 
introduction  to  the  career  of  a  great  naval  captain  entirely 
different  from  all  of  his  contemporaries  that  have  here 
been  considered.  He  was  educated  to  be  a  physician, 
graduated  at  a  Philadelphia  medical  school,  and  practiced 
medicine  for  a  time  in  his  native  State,  Delaware.  He 
was  made  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Delaware  and 
abandoned  his  profession  to  enter  upon  his  new  duties. 


American  Naval  Heroes. 

I.   Farragut.         2.  Chauncey.         3.  Worden.         4.   Macdonough, 

5.   Perry.         6.   Hull. 


SKE  TCII  OF  JONES  AND  FOR  TER.  537 

Until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age  he  was  quite  unac- 
quainted with  the  details  of  a  ship's  construction,  and  at 
the  age  of  thirty-one  he  entered  the  United  States  navy 
as  a  midshipman.  After  less  than  two  years'  service  in 
this  capacity  he  was  made  lieutenant,  from  which  position 
he  rose  rapidly  to  be  one  of  the  most  distinguished  officers 
of  the  navy.  His  gallant  fight  with  and  capture  of  the 
British  sloop-of-war  Frolic,  a  vessel  greatly  superior  in 
force  to  the  Wasp,  which  latter  he  commanded,  has  already 
been  related  in  the  preceding  pages.  This  exploit  was 
rewarded  by  the  bestowal  of  distinguished  honors  by  sev- 
eral of  the  States. 

Commodore  David  Porter,  one  of  the  very  ablest  of 
the  naval  commanders  during  our  War  of  1812,  was  the 
son  of  a  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel,  and  from  the  age 
of  sixteen  to  nineteen  years  he  learned  practical  seaman- 
ship on  board  a  merchantman  trading  with  the  West 
India  Islands.  At  nineteen  he  entered  the  United  States 
navy  as  midshipman,  and  thus  began  his  very  remarkable 
naval  career.  He  saw  service  in- the  action  between  the 
American  ship  Constellation  and  the  French  U hisurgente, 
which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  latter,  and  for  meri- 
torious conduct  upon  that  occasion  young  Porter  received 
promotion.  His  capture  of  the  British  ship  Alej't,  while 
commanding  the  Essex,  has  already  been  mentioned  by 
the  author.  His  remarkable  cruise  in  the  latter, 
which  finally  terminated  in  the  destruction  of  his  ship  in 
a  Chilean  neutral  port  by  two  British  men-of-war,  forms 
one  of  the  most  interesting  chapters  of  naval  history. 


538  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA.  | 

Commodore  Joshua  Barney  had  a  distinguished  career 
as  a  naval  officer  through  both  the  American  struggles 
with  Great  Britain  —  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
War  of  1812.  His  school  life  only  extended  to  his  tenth 
year,  after  which  age  he  went  to  sea,  and  by  an  accident 
became  commander  of  a  ship  at  sixteen.  In  1775  he 
was  made  master's  mate  of  the  American  sloop-of-war 
Hornet,  and  from  that  time  forward  until  after  the  close 
of  the  War  of  18 12  his  services  to  his  country  were  of  the 
most  distinguished  character.  He  was  one  of  the  promi- 
nent defenders  of  the  City  of  Washington  during  the 
British  attack  on  the  national  capital,  and  during  the 
battle  of  Bladensburg  he  was  severely  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner  by  the  enemy. 

The  foregoing  running  sketch  of  American  naval  offi- 
cers, who  formed  a  bright  portion  of  the  remarkable 
galaxy  of  great  naval  captains,  and  whose  daring  deeds 
shed  such  glory  upon  our  naval  power  during  a  critical 
period  in  our  history,  noways  represents  the  full  list  of 
those  who  gained  honorable  distinction  during  the  crisis 
referred  to.  The  enumeration  has  been  made  from  the 
names  of  those  whose  deeds  have  shone  most  brightly  in 
American  naval  annals.  Since  the  time  of  Hull,  Decatur, 
Bainbridge,  Jones,  Lawrence,  Porter,  Barney,  Perry, 
Macdonough,  and  Chauncey,  the  whole  system  of  naval 
tactics  and  naval  warfare  in  general  has  been  revolution- 
ized by  the  introduction  of  steam  in  war-ships,  of  iron 
casing,  and  of  enormously  heavy  guns  and  projectiles. 
Since   their   time,   too,   a   host   of   brilliant   names   have 


SKETCH  OF  MODERN  NA  VAL  HEROES.  539 

adorned  the  American  navy,  as  that  of  Dupont,  of  Far- 
ragut,  of  Goldsborough,  of  Rowan,  of  Rodgers,  of  Foote, 
of  Paulding,  of  John  L.  Worden,  of  D.  D.  Porter,  and 
of  many  others  equally  deserving  of  mention.  Some  of 
these  learned  their  profession  under  the  old  system  ;  many 
of  them  under  the  crude  attempts  at  scholastic  edu- 
cation upon  ship-board,  already  detailed  in  the  first  part 
of  this  volume.  Perhaps  a  few  of  the  younger  officers 
who  saw  service  during  the  Rebellion  were  graduates  of 
the  Academy  at  Annapolis.  A  recital  of  the  splendid 
naval  feats  of  the  American  civil  conflict  would  neces- 
sarily carry  the  author  into  a  detail  of  the  various  naval 
engagements  of  that  conflict,  and  devolve  upon  him  a 
task  which  neither  his  present  subject  nor  the  limits  of 
the  present  volume  would  permit.  But  without  seeking 
to  detract  from  the  brilliant  records  of  subsequent  naval 
heroes,  which  are  the  legitimate  heritages  of  the  Ameri- 
can people,  yet,  considered  in  the  character  of  purely 
naval  officers,  it  may  be  asked,  with  pertinence  and  pro- 
priety, how  much  more  successful  as  practical  seamen 
and  successful  fighters — to  use  that  expression  in  default 
of  a  better — would  have  been  those  naval  worthies  of 
181 2,  had  they  been  the  recipients  of  avast  preparatory 
education,  covering  a  knowledge  of  various  branches  of 
learning,  some  of  which  are  ornamental,  and  others  of 
which  include  a  detail  of  studies  seldom  ever  used  in 
practical  application? 

The  author  has  so  constantly  asseverated  his  belief  in 
the  efficacy  of  preparatory  education,  both  for  the  soldier 


540  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

and  the  sailor,  that  he  has  Httle  fear  of  being  misunder- 
stood in  presenting  such  a  question,  except  it  may  be  by 
those  having  a  purpose  to  distort  his  meaning.  A  knowl- 
edge of  the  branches  pertaining  to  the  art  of  war,  whether 
practiced  upon  the  land  or  sea,  is  indisputably  necessary 
to  success  in  that  art.  But  to  reiterate  the  position,  it 
may  be  alleged  that  the  youth  or  man  who  has  the  nat- 
ural genius,  seeking  development  into  the  noted  soldier  or 
sailor — a  soldier  like  Nathaniel  Greene,  or  a  sailor  like 
Jacob  Jones,  whose  natural  bent  asserted  itself  after  he 
had  adopted  another  profession,  and  had  arrived  at  the 
age  of  thirty-one  years — will  conquer  the  knowledge  per- 
taining to  the  art  early  in  life,  if  he  have  the  facilities 
afforded  to  him,  and  later,  if  he  have  not.  But  if  a 
youth  or  man  have  not  the  natural  inspiration  of  the 
great  naval  commander,  no  course  of  drill  in  mathematics 
and  its  divisional  branches,  no  course  of  study  in  naviga- 
tion, nor  of  tactics,  nor  of  gunnery,  etc.,  will  enable  him 
to  shine  in  the  profession  as  did  the  blunt  old  Isaac 
Hull,  or  his  contemporary  heroes,  who,  though  more 
accomplished  in  the  book-learning  and  literature  of  the 
naval  profession,  were  far  less  so  than  the  modern  aca- 
demic standard  exacts  as  prerequisite  to  the  career  of  a 
naval  officer. 

It  has  already  been  remarked  of  our  volunteer  soldiers 
of  1 812  that,  owing  to  the  lack  of  necessary  discipline  and 
to  the  inability  of  the  Government  to  furnish  the  supplies 
and  munitions  of  war  with  the  requisite  regularity  and 
expedition,  they  generally  suffered  reverses  in  the  early 


SKETCH  OF  GREAT  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIERS. 


541 


engagements  of  the  conflict,  and  that  in  consequence  of 
this  fact  the  hope  of  the  nation  for  the  first  sixteen 
months  was  centered  in  the  brilhant  exploits  of  its  small 
navy.  Although  these  evils  were  never  fully  overcome, 
owing  to  the  short  term  of  enlistment  of  the  troops,  and 
to  the  comparatively  brief  period  during  which  the  war 
lasted,  yet  the  time  came  when  these  defects  were  so  far 
remedied  that  our  land  forces  fully  sustained  the  rep- 
utation of  the  American  volunteer  soldiers,  and,  revers- 
ing the  order  at  the  beginning  of  the  campaign,  bore  off 
the  prestige  of  victory  from  every  field  whereon  they  were 
not  opposed  by  an  overwhelming  majority.  To  recount 
the  various  struggles  in  which  our  noble  soldiers  exhibited 
such  splendid  courage  and  effectiveness,  both  in  victory 
and  in  defeat,  would  require  an  amount  of  space  not  now 
at  the  command  of  the  author.  The  most  that  he  can  do 
is  to  glance  at  the  prominent  figures  of  the  time  who  led 
our  troops  to  honor  upon  every  field. 

William  Henry  Harrison,  who  as  Major-General  of 
the  Kentucky  militia  bore  such  an  important  part  in  the 
War  of  18 1 2,  and  who  subsequently  became  the  ninth 
President  of  the  United  States,  had  no  preliminary  educa- 
tion. Designed  by  his  father  to  be  a  physician,  young 
Harrison  was  put  to  the  study  of  medicine,  which  the 
lad  soon  discovered  was  not  his  vocation.  Being  offered 
the  commission  of  ensign  by  Washington,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  military  affairs,  and  for  the  period  of  the  suc- 
ceeding six  years,  during  which  time  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
captain,    he   was   engaged    in   various   battles   with    the 


542  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

Indians,  in  all  of  which  he  displayed  much  gallantry  as 
well  as  much  ability  as  an  officer.  At  the  termination  of 
the  period  mentioned  he  resigned  from  the  army  and  was 
appointed  to  be  Secretary  of  the  Northwest  Territory, 
from  which  date  the  political  career  began  which  was 
ended  by  his  election  to  the  Presidency  of  his  country. 
After  negotiating  a  number  of  treaties  with  the  Indians  he 
again  took  the  field  against  the  celebrated  chief  Tecum- 
seh,  and  became  the  hero  of  the  widely-sung  battle  of  Tip- 
pecanoe, in  the  year  1811.  During  the  War  of  181 2  he 
gathered  distinguished  military  honors,  his  defense  of  Fort 
Meigs  and  his  victory  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames 
creating  immense  enthusiasm  throughout  the  country. 

General  Harrison  was  a  shining  example  of  the  Amer- 
ican citizen-soldier.  Intended  for  another  calling  in  life, 
and  without  any  preceding  education  to  give  to  his  subse- 
quent career  a  military  direction,  the  inspiration  came 
upon  presentation  of  the  first  opportunity  to  gather  glory 
from  the  battle-field.  That  this  inspiration  was  not  based 
upon  a  simple  casualty,  carrying  him  into  the  ranks  as  a 
mere  incident  of  frontier  life  at  that  early  day,  is  suffi- 
ciently proven  by  the  strong  logic  of  the  record  which 
follows  the  uncouth  stripling  from  his  first  aspiration  for 
a  soldier's  life  to  his  high  position  as  a  military  com- 
mander fully  equal  in  ability  to  the  veteran  officers  of  a 
war-pursuing  nation. 

In  the  career  of  Major-General  Winfield  Scott  we  are 
again  presented  with  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  agency 
of  the  natural  bent  in  giving  direction  to  future  develop- 


SKETCH  OF  HARRISON  AND  SCOTT.  543 

ment  Young  Scott  was  educated  to  the  law,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1806.  Two  years  afterward,  he 
was  appointed  to  be  a  captain  of  artillery,  and  from  that 
time  his  distinguished  military  career  commenced.  This 
career  extended  over  all  of  the  wars  in  which  our  country 
has  been  eneao-ed  since  the  close  of  the  Revolution.  In 
that  of  181 2  his  first  laurels  were  won,  and  the  fame  of 
the  hero  of  Chippewa  and  Lundy's  Lane  became  known 
not  only  among  his  admiring  countrymen,  but  recognized 
by  the  military  talent  of  Europe.  His  splendid  record  in 
the  Mexican  War  is  one  of  the  most  flattering  pages  of 
American  military  history,  while  his  greatness  as  a  mili- 
tary genius  was  still  acknowledged  when,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years,  he  gave  the  first  directions  in  the 
huge  struggle  of  the  Rebellion,  after  our  Military 
Academy  at  West  Point  had  given  education  and  exit 
to  many  soldiers  whose  distinguished  careers  became  so 
marked  during  the  war  between  the  sections.  Though 
General  Scott  was  a  warm  advocate,  in  later  years,  of  an 
academic  military  education,  he  shone  forth,  in  his  own 
person,  as  an  example,  not  alone  of  the  very  great  mili- 
tary man,  but,  also,  of  the  circumstance  so  strongly 
insisted  upon  in  these  pages,  that  true  military  genius  will 
find  expansion  and  assert  its  supremacy  in  spite  of  every 
obstacle  and  of  every  attempt  to  turn  it  from  its  course. 
Winfield  Scott  possessed  a  military  reputation  fully  recog- 
nized by  all  contemporary  military  men.  His  record  is 
that  of  an  accomplished  and  brilliant  of^cer,  and  one  of 
the  most  sterling  representatives  of  the  volunteer  soldiery 


544  "^^^   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

of  the  United  States.  The  dark  ordeal  of  the  late  Civil 
War  brought  to  light  many  of  these  representative  sol- 
diers of  a  gallant  and  freedom-loving  people.  The  names 
of  some  of  these  will  be  mentioned  in  the  succeeding 
chapter. 

Another  of  the  remarkable  figures  of  the  War  of  1812 
was  that  of  General  Andrew  Jackson,  whose  gallant  vic- 
tory over  the  British  General  Pakenham  at  New  Orleans, 
upon  the  8th  of  January,  18 15,  confirmed  his  previous 
reputation  as  a  military  leader  of  the  first  order.  Jack- 
son's parents,  as  is  well  known,  came  from  Ireland  in 
1765.  Two  years  later  Andrew  was  born  in  South  Caro- 
lina. He  entered  the  Revolutionary  army  when  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and,  having  been  taken  prisoner,  he  was 
twice  wounded  with  a  sword  for  obstinately  refusing  to 
black  the  boots  of  a  British  officer.  After  the  close  of 
the  war  he  studied  law,  and  when  nineteen  years  of  age 
he  was  admitted  to  practice  in  North  Carolina.  Remov- 
ing to  Tennessee,  he  became  identified  with  the  politics  of 
the  State,  and  held  various  public  positions,  including 
that  of  United  States  senator  and  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Tennessee.  He  was  major-general  of  the  State 
militia  from  1798  to  18 14.  His  fine  campaigns  against 
the  Creek  Indians  are  well-known  to  all  readers  of  Ameri- 
can history,  while  his  victory  at  New  Orleans  with  an 
inferior  force  over  Sir  Edward  Pakenham,  an  officer  who 
had  served  with  great  distinction  in  all  the  principal 
engagements  of  Wellington  during  the  campaigns  in 
France   and   in   Spain,   and  who   led  an  army  of  British 


SKE  TCI/  OF  '  •  OLD  IIICKOR  Y. "  545 

veterans  against  the  defenses  of  New  Orleans,  was  one 
of  the  most  brilHant  In  the  history  of  battles.  With  no 
preliminary  education  pertaining  to  a  military  life,  except 
such  as  he  received  upon  the  field,  General  Jackson's 
career  furnishes  indisputable  proof  of  the  existence  of  the 
inherent  military  genius  which  belonged  to  him  as  a 
natural  birthright.  His  remarkable  and  happy  expedient 
of  constructing  his  defenses  of  bales  of  cotton,  impene- 
trable by  the  shots  of  the  enemy,  displayed  an  originality 
of  orenius  which  no  degrree  of  classical  education  could 
have  added  to  in  the  least.  His  military  career  is  deeply 
cut  in  the  pages  of  history,  and  the  hero  of  New  Orleans 
•  is  another  luminous  exemplification  of  the  attributes  of 
the  untaught  natural  soldier  of  America. 

Richard  M.  Johnson,  who  served  with  such  distinc- 
tion under  General  Harrison  in  the  campaigns  upon  the 
Canadian  border,  and  for  v/hom  was  warmly  claimed  the 
credit  of  putting  a  termination  to  the  life  of  the  able  but 
bloody  chief  Tecumseh,  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames, 
was  a  practicing  lawyer  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  with 
no  military  experience  whatever.  After  serving  his 
country  with  most  signal  ability  as  a  volunteer  officer, 
he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  gathered 
fresh  laurels  in  civil  life.  His  political  career,  which  was 
long  and  useful,  was  crowned  by  his  elevation  to  the 
Vice-Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

To  these  names  could  be  added,  did  space  permit,  a 
long  list  of  other  gallant  vohmteer  officers  whose  able  ser- 
vices lent  such  effectiveness  to  the  American  cause  and 


546  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER    OF  AMERICA. 

reflected  such  great  honor  upon  the  American  soldiery. 
Such  a  list  would  embrace  the  names  of  the  deeply 
lamented  Pike,  who  lost  his  life  at  the  capture  of  York ;  of 
General  Greene  Clay,  the  volunteer  soldier  of  Kentucky  ; 
of  General  Isaac  Shelby,  the  distinguished  war  Governor 
of  the  same  State;  of  General  Jacob  Brown,  born  of  a 
Quaker  family,  a  school-teacher  In  early  life,  aftervvard  a 
surveyor,  then  a  lawyer,  then  a  politician,  and  finally  a 
volunteer  soldier  in  the  War  of  181 2,  and  whose  services 
in  this  capacity  were  acknowledged  by  Congress  with  a 
gold  medal  and  a  resolution  of  thanks;  of  General  Henry 
Leavenworth,  a  practitioner  of  law  until  the  beginning  of 
the  War  of  181 2,  and  whose  services  in  the  Canadian 
campaign  were  so  invaluable  that  he  was  continued  in 
the  regular  army  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and  whose 
name  is  permanently  attached  to  the  military  post  on  the 
Missouri  River  (Fort  Leavenworth)  which  he  estab- 
lished ;  of  the  brave  General  George  Croghan,  whose 
remarkable  sortie  from  Fort  Meigs  won  for  him  imperish- 
able glory ;  of  General  John  Swift,  of  the  New  York  j 
militia,  already  mentioned  herein,  and  who  lost  his 
life  after  successfully  cutting  off  a  picket  of  the  enemy 
near  Fort  George  ;  of  General  E,  W.  Ripley,  also  a  prac- 
ticing lawyer  until  he  volunteered  to  serve  his  country 
during;  the  War  of  1812,  and  who  in  recoofnitlon  of  his  dis- 
tinguished  service  received  from  Congress  a  gold  medal, 
upon  which  were  engraven  the  names  of  the  battles  in 
which  he  had  borne  such  a  conspicuous  part — "  Niagara, 
Chippewa,   Erie,"    of   General   William   J.    Worth,    who 


SKETCH  OF  GENERAL   WORTH.  547 

began  life  in  the  humble  capacity  of  trader's  clerk, 
whose  scanty  education  scarcely  covered  a  knowledge  of 
the  English  rudiments,  and  whose  military  services,  begin- 
ning in  1 8 13  upon  the  Canadian  border,  were  continued 
through  subsequent  campaigns  against  the  Indians  and 
through  the  Mexican  War,  and  who,  from  a  position  of  a 
purely  commercial  character,  became  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished military  officers  in  the  regular  army  of  the 
United  States,  receiving  a  sword  of  honor  from  Congress 
in  recognition  of  his  brilliant  deeds,  as  also  others  from  the 
States  of  New  York  and  Louisiana,  and  from  his  native 
county  of  Columbia,  and  whose  memory  is  perpetuated  by 
his  native  State  with  the  splendid  monument  which  faces 
Madison  Square  in  the  City  of  New  York;  of  the  brave 
old  Revolutionary  officer  General  Henry  Miller,  who  left 
the  practice  of  law  to  engage  in  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence, and  who,  then  an  old  man,  commanded  a 
brigade  of  militia  in  the  defense  of  the  city  of  Baltimore 
after  the  British  outrage  upon  the  National  Capital ;  and 
also  of  many  others  who  bore  a  most  distinguished  part 
in  the  second  struggle  with  the  British  nation. 

In  conclusion  of  this  hasty  review  of  the  officers  dis- 
tinguishing themselves  in  1812,  mention  must  also  be 
made  of  the  fact  that  our  Government  and  people  at 
large  were  no  less  appreciative  of  the  valor  of  the  men  in 
the  ranks  who  with  such  splendid  courage  sustained  the 
high  character  of  the  volunteer  soldier  of  America.  The 
following  joint  resolution,  passed  by  Congress,  and  ap- 
proved by  the  President  February  27,   181 5,  though  re- 


548  "^^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

lating  to  the  victory  of  New  Orleans,  will  serve  as  a  fit 
illustration  of  the  grateful  sentiments  of  our  people  to 
the  men  who  had  carried  the  musket  and  the  flag:  in  all 
the  battles  of  the  war.  The  full  text  of  the  resolution  is 
herewith  given : 

'■'■Resolved,  etc.,  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  be,  and  they  are 
hereby  given  to  Major-General  Jackson,  and  through  him  to  the  offi- 
cers and  soldiers  of  the  regular  army,  of  the  military  and  volunteers 
under  his  command,  the  greater  portion  of  which  troops  consisted  of 
militia  and  volunteers  suddenly  collected  together,  for  their  uni- 
form gallantry  and  good  conduct  conspicuously  displayed  against 
the  enemy  from  the  time  of  his  standing  before  New  Orleans  until 
his  final  expulsion  therefrom;  and  particularly  for  the  valor,  skill, 
and  good  conduct  on  the  8th  of  January  last,  in  repulsing  with 
great  slaughter  a  numerous  British  army  of  chosen  veterans  when 
attempting  by  a  bold  and  daring  attack  to  carry  by  storm  the 
works  hastily  thrown  up  for  the  protection  of  New  Orleans,  and 
thereby  obtaining  a  most  signal  victory  over  the  enemy,  with  a 
disparity  of  loss  on  his  part  unexampled  in  military  annals." 

Before  closing  the  present  chapter  the  author  desires 
to  devote  a  brief  space  to  the  war  following  that  of  181 2, 
after  an  interval  of  some  thirty  years,  viz. :  the  war  with 
Mexico. 

The  Mexican  War,  from  1 846-1 848,  as  has  already 
been  observed,  was  a  conflict  into  which  the  country  was 
also  plunged  by  the  demands  and  action  of  certain  South- 
ern statesmen  and  their  Northern  allies.  It  was  generally 
unpopular  in  the  North  for  the  double  reason  that  it  was 
a  war  hastily  precipitated  upon  a  weak  neighboring  state, 
and  that  its  purpose,  of  adding,  by  conquest,  territory  to 
increase  the  political  power  of  the  Southern  States,  was  so 
apparent  as  to  be  perceived  by  all.     Volunteering  from 


OUR  MILITARY  RESOURCES  IN  1846.  549 

the  Northern  States  was  therefore  slow,  and  it  was  only 
under  the  stimulus  of  the  duty  of  an  American  citizen- 
soldier  to  maintain  the  honor  and  dignity  of  his  flag  that 
any  general  response  to  the  call  for  volunteers  was 
made  in  the  States  m.entioned.  It  has  been  roughly 
estimated  that  during  the  war  spoken  of  the  North  fur- 
nished only  about  one-half  as  many  volunteers  as 
were  sent  from  the  Southern  States.  However  this 
statement  may  tally  with  the  exact  figures,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  those  who  did  enlist  exhibited  the  same  qualities 
which  had  marked  the  soldier  of  the  Revolution  as  well 
as  the  soldier  of  1812.  At  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  the 
country  was  even  less  prepared  for  war  than  upon  the 
outbreak  of  the  contest  of  181 2.  When  General  Taylor 
was  ordered  to  the  Texas  frontier  in  the  latter  part  of 
1845  ^^  numerical  force  of  the  army  of  the  United  States 
was  inferior  to  that  of  any  year  from  1808  to  the  period 
mentioned.  As  appears  from  the  report  of  the  Adjutant- 
General,  dated  November  26,  1845,  Taylor's  force  in 
Texas,  after  all  the  available  troops  which  could  be  spared 
by  the  Government  from  the  Atlantic,  the  West,  and  the 
Northwest  divisions  had  been  sent  to  him,  only  amounted 
to  about  four  thousand  men,  including  the  general  staff. 
As  to  any  provisions  for  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the 
reserve  troops  of  the  country  as  represented  by  the  militia 
and  volunteers,  it  may  fairly  be  said  that  no  advance,  no 
progress  had  been  made  since  the  close  of  the  second  war 
with  the  mother  country.  This  remark,  however,  does 
not  apply  to  the  ability  of  the  country  in  1846  to  equip, 


550  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

supply,  and  maintain  a  large  army,  and  to  do  so  with 
greatly  more  efficiency  than  during  any  previous  period 
of  its  history.  The  Republic  had  increased  within  thirty 
years  in  population,  wealth,  power,  and  general  resources, 
to  a  vast  extent,  and  it  was  amply  able  upon  the  occur- 
rence of  a  caszis  belli  enlisting  the  enthusiasm  of  the  whole 
people  to  place  an  army  in  the  field  beside  which  that 
which  actually  invaded  Mexico  would  have  been  very  in- 
significant. As  it  was,  however,  the  same  difficulty  with 
raw,  undisciplined  troops  operated  against  our  arms  in 
the  earlier  battles  just  as  had  happened  in  our  previous 
experiences.  The  battles  of  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  which  resulted  so  advantageously  to  the  Ameri- 
cans, were  fought  by  Taylor  with  his  small  force  of  regular 
soldiers.  The  subsequent  battles  at  Monterey  and  Buena 
Vista  and  other  engagements  were  gained,  according  to 
the  reports  of  the  Mexican  officers,  because  the  Aine7'-ican 
voluntee7's  wouldnt  acknowledge  that  they  were  whipped 
when  according  to  every  law  of  the  schools  they  should 
have  been. 

As  time  went  on,  however,  the  work  of  discipline  and 
the  educating  influence  of  actual  field  experience  brought 
out,  as  always  before,  the  full  effectiveness  of  the  Ameri- 
can citizen-soldier,  and  in  the  subsequent  campaigns  under 
Taylor,  and  the  final  ones  under  Scott,  leading  to  the 
placing  of  the  American  flag  upon  the  palaces  of  the 
Mexican  capital,  the  volunteers  of  our  country  reaped  a 
renown  that  can  never  fade  from  the  pages  of  our  history. 

The  war   now  under  consideration  was  marked  by  an 


SKE TCI/  OF  "OLD  KO UGII-A ND-KEA DY."  551 

entirely  new  feature  in  American  military  annals.  The 
Academy  at  West  Point  had  been  in  operation  for  a  period 
of  forty-four  years,  and  it  was  time  that  its  fruitfulness 
should  be  exhibited.  The  first  showing  of  the  institution 
may  be  said  to  have  been  made  at  this  crisis.  Many  of 
its  graduates  saw  actual  service  for  the  first  time  during 
the  campaigns  in  Mexico.  They  were  attached  in  many 
cases  to  regiments  by  a  brevet  rank.  Among  those  of 
the  West  Point  graduates  in  Mexico  were  some  who  won 
everlasting  fame  and  glory  in  the  civil  conflict  so  soon  to 
shake  the  country  like  a  mighty  convulsion  of  the  earth. 
The  immortal  name  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant  heads  the  roll  of 
honor  in  the  field,  though  it  never  stood  very  high  upon 
the  records  of  his  military  alma  mater. 

The  two  central  figures  of  our  war  with  Mexico  were 
Generals  Winfield  Scott  and  Zachary  Taylor.  The 
former  of  these  celebrated  military  leaders  has  already 
occupied  attention  and  received  comment  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages  of  this  chapter,  and  nothing  further  can  be 
said  by  the  author  which  could  enhance  the  brilliant 
record  of  that  justly  celebrated  General. 

A  few  words,  however,  will  be  permitted  by  the  reader 
upon  his  great  colleague-in-arms.  General  Zachary  Taylor, 
the  "  old  rough-and-ready  "  of  the  "  boys  in  blue." 

Taylor  was  the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who 
reared  his  boy  upon  his  plantation  in  Kentucky,  accus- 
toming the  youth  to  the  hard  labor  of  a  farm.  With  no 
education  whatever,  nor  opportunity  of  obtaining  one, 
young  Taylor  worked  away  to  earn  his  living  and  to  make 


552  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

something  of  himself,  until  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years 
he  was  appointed  first  lieutenant,  Seventh  Infantry. 
During  the  War  of  1812  he  received  the  brevet  rank  of 
major  for  gallant  conduct  in  the  Indian  assault  on  Fort 
Harrison,  this  being  the  first  instance  of  brevet  promo- 
tion in  our  service.  He  earned  distinction  in  subsequent 
battles  of  that  war.  In  the  Black  Hawk  War  and  in 
Florida  he  gained  increased  military  fame  from  his  various 
battles  with  the  Indians.  In  the  year  1840  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  command  the  Army  of  the  Southwest,  and  in 
1846  he  began  the  series  of  battles  with  the  Mexicans 
which  raised  his  name  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  military 
glory  —  a  glory  which,  in  his  case,  as  expressed  by  the 
poet  Montgomery,  led  "but  to  the  grave."  The  great 
eclat  and  popularity  which  attached  to  his  military  charac- 
ter—  for  he  had  no  political  prestige  or  record  —  caused 
his  nomination  and  election  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
United  States,  and  his  death  followed  soon  after  his 
inauguration,  probably  from  imprisonment  in  the  White 
House  after  having  led  the  active,  open-air  life  of  a 
soldier  for  so  long  a  time. 

The  case  of  General  Taylor  is  certainly  remarkable  in 
the  confirmation  it  presents  of  the  existence  of  a  natural 
bent  or  aptitude  for  the  military  calling,  which  bent  or 
aptitude  will  always  burst  the  bonds  of  every  restraint, 
as  the  river,  artificially  turned  from  its  legitimate 
course,  gathers  a  flood  which,  sweeping  away  eve-ry  im- 
pediment, will  carry  the  waters  triumphantly  to  the  sea. 

Still  another  illustration  of  the  same  fact  is  presented 


SKE  TCH  OF  MAJ.  -  GENERAL    WOOL.  553 

to  US  by  the  case  of  Major-General  John  E.  Wool,  men- 
tion of  whom,  though  serving  with  great  distinction  in  the 
War  of  181 2,  has  been  reserved  for  the  present  connec- 
tion. This  distinguished  soldier  was,  Hke  Taylor,  the  son 
of  a  Revolutionary  officer,  who  was  unable  to  give  the 
youth  any  educational  advantages.  Engaging  in  trade, 
young  Wool  managed  to  become  proprietor  of  a  book- 
store in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  by  the  time  he  had  reached  his 
majority^  Having  suffered  the  loss  of  his  business  by  fire, 
he  began  the  study  of  law,  but,  availing  himself  of  the 
influence  of  Governor  Clinton,  he  soon  after  received  the 
appointment  of  captain  in  the  Thirteenth  Infantry,  the 
War  of  181 2  being  then  impending.  At  the  period  of 
receiving  his  commission  in  the  army  of  the  United 
States,  like  Taylor  again,  he  had  reached  the  twenty- 
fourth  year  of  his  age. 

His  brilliant  career  as  one  of  the  ablest  military  men 
from  that  time  until  his  death  in  1869  forms  an  important 
and  interesting  part  of  the  war  annals  of  our  country. 
As  an  officer  of  the  regular  army  he  served  with  distinc- 
tion through  the  last  war  with  England,  through  the 
Mexican  War,  and  through  the  War  of  Secession.  He 
organized,  armed,  and  equipped,  in  the  West,  12,000 
volunteers  for  service  in  Mexico  within  a  period  of  six 
weeks.  He  commanded  in  the  absence  of  General  Tay- 
lor during  the  first  part  of  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  and 
was  breveted  major-general  for  his  gallant  services  at 
that  time,  also  receiving  swords  from  Congress  and  from 
his  native  State.      His  services  during^  the  Rebellion  were 


554  ^-^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

of  the  greatest  value  to  the  Union  cause.     As  an  organ- 
izer of  troops  it  is  said  he  had  no  superior. 

Though  the  task  would  be  one  of  a  most  grateful 
character,  the  author  is  compelled  to  forego  a  more  de- 
tailed mention,  in  the  present  place,  of  a  number  of  other 
gallant,  able,  and  distinguished  volunteer  soldiers  who 
figured  with  honor  upon  the  battle-fields  of  Mexico.  The 
names  of  some  of  these  will  appear  in  the  following  chap- 
ter. The  campaign  against  Mexico  witnessed  the  advent 
upon  the  actual  stage  of  war  of  a  number  of  young  offi- 
cers who  had  received  a  preparatory  military  education  at 
the  West  Point  Academy  and  who  afterward  figured 
with  more  or  less  prominence  upon  the  battle-fields  of  the 
civil  conflict.  The  Mexican  War,  however,  bore  fruit  in 
another  direction  perhaps  no  less  important  to  the  country 
than  the  circumstance  just  mentioned,  as  It  furnished  a 
school  of  practical  experience  to  a  large  number  of  volun- 
teer soldiers  whose  names  are  now  written  upon  an  Im- 
perishable page  as  the  heroic  defenders  of  their  country 
against  the  internal  agitators  who  so  rashly  sought  to 
destroy  it. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    AMERICAN    CIVIL    CONFLICT MILITARY    RESOURCES    OF 

THE    COUNTRY    AT    THE    OUTBREAK    OF    THE    WAR THE 

VOLUNTEER  PRESERVES    THE  UNION,  ABOLISHES   SLAVERY, 

AND  REVOLUTIONIZES  THE  OLD    METHODS  OF  WARFARE 

A  REVIEW  OF  SOME  OF  THE  VOLUNTEER  OFFICERS  OF  THE 

REBELLION THE  ACADEMIC   SOLDIER  AND    THE   SOLDIER 

BY      NATURAL      GENIUS THE     NAVAL     HEROES     OF     THE 

REBELLION CONCLUDING    COMMENTARY     UPON    ALL    OF 

THE  FACTS. 

THE  assertion  that  the  last  armed  conflict  in  which 
the  people  of  the  United  States  were  engaged  was 
also  forced  upon  them  by  Southern  statesmen,  does 
not  need  the  testimony  of  the  author  in  order  that  it  may 
receive  confirmation.  While  it  is  far  from  his  intention  to 
fan  the  flame  of  sectional  crimination,  yet  it  is  wholly 
within  place  in  such  a  volume  as  the  present  to  at  least 
note  the  indisputable  fact  that  since  the  achievement  of 
independence  the  American  people  have  been  called  to 
sustain  no  general  war  which  has  not  been  thrust  upon 
them  in  the  interest  of  an  unrepublican  aristocracy  rest- 
ing upon  the  equally  unrepublican  and  thrice-accursed 
system  of  human  slavery. 

The  American  Republic,  great  in  the  annals  of  peace, 
admired  by  every  nation  of  the  world,  and  respected  in 

555 


556  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

every  land  and  upon  every  sea,  was  called  upon  in  the 
year  1861  to  meet  an  ordeal  through  which  any  other 
then  living  government  would  have  tumbled  into  frag- 
ments so  small  as  to  be  insusceptible  of  reconstruction. 
The  nations  of  Europe  looked  upon  the  intestine  conflict 
with  utter  amazement,  and  as  they  looked  but  one  com- 
mon sentiment  found  expression  from  men  grown  gray  in 
the  public  service  of  states,  which  expression  but  intoned 
a  requiem  over  the  dying  struggles  of  the  monster  Repub- 
lic of  America.  As  man  was  never  born  to  die,  so  his  last 
and  best  hope  on  earth  was  never  created  to  perish  so 
prematurely.  The  disease  which  had  attacked  the  nation 
was  terrible  in  its  deadly  strength,  but  the  remedy  was 
close  at  hand  and  indigenous  to  the  soil.  It  lay  in  the 
patriotism  of  the  people,  and  in  the  strong  arm  and  cour- 
ageous heart  of  that  marvelous  power,  the  American  vol- 
unteer soldier. 

It  would  be  wholly  a  work  of  supererogation  to 
attempt  even  an  outline  of  the  great  civil  conflict  through 
v/hich  the  country  has  passed  within  the  quick  memory  of 
those  now  living,  and  while  so  many  of  the  actual  partici- 
pants in  the  conflict  still  live  to  enjoy  the  honors  they 
have  so  nobly  won.  Upon  the  detailed  history  of  that 
fearful  crisis  in  our  national  life  it  may  truly  be  said,  "  of 
books  there  is  no  end."  In  that  direction  the  field  seems 
to  have  been  fully  covered,  and  it  only  remains  to  the 
author  to  preserve  unbroken  and  intact  the  thread  leading 
to  the  end  for  which  the  writer  has  been  induced  to- 
undertake  his  present  task. 


MIL/ri/i  REGIMENTS  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR.  557 

In  one  respect  at  least  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War 
found  a  decided  advance  in  the  military  establishment  of 
the  country  over  that  of  any  other  period  of  its  history. 
This  advance  consisted  of  a  more  general  diffusion  of  mil- 
itary knowledge  and  practical  training  through  the  militia 
organizations  of  the  several  States.  In  the  fifteen  years 
of  internal  and  external  peace  that  lay  betvi^een  the  out- 
break of  the  Mexican  and  Civil  wars,  there  had  been  a 
special  stimulus  to  military  organization  and  drill  in  the 
principal  States  and  cities.  The  youth  of  the  country,  as 
never  before,  had  become  attached  to  organizations  exist- 
ing under  the  State  militia  laws,  which  latter,  under  peri- 
odical remodeling  and  enlarged  State  legislation,  had 
reached  a  degree  of  effective  usefulness  never  before 
attained.  It  resulted  from  this  that  during  the  opening 
crisis  of  the  conflict  whole  regiments  of  thoroughly  trained 
soldiers,  simply  needing  some  experience  with  the  actual 
blaze  of  battle  to  make  them  veteran  troops,  were  placed 
temporarily  at  the  service  of  the  Government.  Further 
than  this,  however,  many  of  these  same  soldiers  went  into 
the  permanent  service  of  the  Government  for  the  period 
of  the  war,  and  from  this  same  source  were  drawn  many 
who  developed  into  the  finest  volunteer  officers  that  led 
our  gallant  troops  to  victory. 

In  another  respect,  too,  there  had  been  an  advance  in 
the  military  resources  of  the  country,  though  this  advance, 
singularly  enough,  was  turned  against  the  Union  cause. 
There  had  been  a  gradual  accumulation  of  improved 
arms  and  implements  of  war  at  the  various  arsenals  and 


558  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

posts,  and  new  fortifications  had  been  erected  upon 
frontier  and  coast  line,  though  it  must  be  confessed  that 
neither  the  supply  of  war  implements  and  material  nor 
the  number  or  strength  of  the  various  fortifications  was  at 
all  adequate  to  the  actual  requirements  of  an  immense 
nation  like  our  own.  Such  material,  however,  as  the  Gov- 
ernment possessed  was  transferred  by  the  Secretary  of 
War  to  the  hands  of  the  enemies  of  the  Union,  thus  leav- 
ing the  Government  at  the  commencement  of  the  conflict 
in  a  worse  condition  than  if  it  had  accumulated  no  mate- 
rial whatever. 

Under  such  conditions  the  Civil  War  began,  and  the 
American  volunteer  once  more  took  the  field  in  defense 
of  his  country  and  the  liberty  of  all  mankind — for  this 
issue  was  fairly  involved  in  the  contest. 

The  scenes  which  followed  have  become  a  marvel  for 
all  succeeding  ages.  Upon  the  part  of  the  South,  the 
forces  were  practically  raised  through  a  draft,  which, 
toward  the  close  of  the  war,  embraced  every  male,  young 
or  old,  at  all  capable  of  bearing  arms.  But  in  the  North, 
where  every  man  felt  himself  to  be  the  special  preserver 
of  his  country,  the  vast  armies  which  were  marshaled  to 
the  field  were  raised  by  volunteering,  with  the  exception 
of  those  produced  by  a  draft  unwisely  ordered  through  a 
mistaken  judgment  The  number  thus  raised  did  not 
exceed  300,000,  while  the  number  of  those  who  volun- 
tarily entered  the  armies  of  the  country  was  more  than 
one  and  one-half  millions. 

The  most  of  these  brave  men  —  indeed,  an  overwhelm- 


THE   VOLUNTEER  IN  THE  CIVIL    WAR.  559 

ing  percentage  of  them — were  wholly  unlearned  in  the 
military  art,  and  entirely  without  experience  in  its  prac- 
tical employment.  They  possessed  all  the  attributes  of 
the  men  who  had  followed  the  fortunes  of  the  campaigns 
for  independence,  of  the  men  who  again  contended  with 
the  British  foe  in  1812,  allied  as  he  was  with  the  tribes  of 
savage  Indians,  and  of  the  men  who,  under  Scott  and 
Taylor,  had  maintained  the  glory  and  honor  of  the  Amer- 
ican flag  through  the  pest-dealing  lowlands  and  the  tower- 
ing mountain  elevations  of  the  country  with  which  we 
were  precipitated  into  war  in  1846.  But,  as  was  the  case 
in  all  of  the  wars  mentioned,  the  volunteer,  while  possess- 
ing the  most  remarkable  attributes  of  a  soldier,  was 
lacking  in  those  elements  of  efficiency  which  can  only  be 
acquired  under  the  fire  of  an  enemy.  He  was  a  "raw" 
man,  in  the  military  vernacular,  though  it  was  not  long 
until  the  drill  of  the  battle-field  made  the  Union  soldiers 
a  body  of  troops  such  as  probably  had  never  been  placed 
upon  the  march  since  the  contention  of  nation  with 
nation  began.  To  fully  recount  the  glorious  conduct  of 
these  troops,  through  the  various  conflicts  which  led  to 
the  subjugation  of  the  Rebellion,  would  require  the  space 
of  a  dozen  volumes  of  the  size  of  the  present.  Results 
were  obtained  of  the  most  profound  importance.  The 
Union  was  preserved  and  cemented  beyond  the  possibility 
of  a  future  rupture ;  the  system  of  slavery,  in  theory  and 
in  practice,  was  radically  abolished ;  and  four  million 
bondmen  were  not  alone  blessed  with  freedom,  but  they 
were  likewise  placed  upon  an  equality  before  the  law  with 


560  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Other  citizens  of  the  Republic.  But  these  were  not  the 
only  results  obtained :  the  great  nation  devoted  to  peace 
and  to  the  pursuit  of  national  and  individual  development 
and  welfare  —  the  nation  without  a  navy,  the  nation  with- 
out an  army,  the  nation  which  simply  existed  through  tol- 
erance of  the  great  powers  —  suddenly  astounded  the 
world  by  entirely  revolutionizing  the  system  of  naval  war- 
fare, and  by  demonstrating  a  military  power  which  no 
nation  of  the  world  could  even  hope  to  successfully 
encounter  upon  the  soil  of  America.  All  honor  to  the 
glorious  soldier  who  has  achieved  these  beneficent  results. 
Let  pseans  be  sung  to  him  through  all  the  ages,  and  to 
the  latest  moment  of  his  earthly  existence  let  his  bene- 
fited countrymen  continue  their  admiration  of  and  care 
for  his  personal  welfare.  Let  his  example  be  held  before 
the  youth  of  our  country  as  one  claiming  their  emulation, 
and  let  his  fame  and  glory  pass  into  history  as  the 
traditional  legacy  of  a  freedom-loving  people. 

Turning  from  the  fascinating  view  of  the  American 
volunteer  as  a  soldier  in  the  ranks,  let  us  take  a  hasty 
view  of  him  as  an  officer  during  the  late  fearful  struggle 
for  national  existence.  As  the  limits  assigned  to  his 
present  task  compel  the  author  to  brevity,  nothing  further 
than  a  running  commentary  upon  some,  though  very  far 
from  all,  of  the  prominent  volunteer  officers  of  the  Civil 
War  can  be  indulo^ed  in.  In  the  review  of  a  list  of  ofii- 
cers  so  comparatively  few  in  number,  the  reader  will  bear 
in  mind  that  the  purpose  of  the  present  volume  only  leads 
the  author  to  the  citation  of   examples   in   illustration  of 


SKETCH  OF  GEN.  A.  II.    TERRY.  561 

his  Immediate  subject,  and  not  to  a  eulogy  of,  or  an 
attempt  to  render  to  each  worthy  officer  the  justice  due 
him.  For  the  same  reason,  no  mention  is  made  of  the 
West  Point  officers  who  so  triumphantly  vindicated  their 
military  education  and  the  justice  of  their  first  selection 
to  be  cadets  at  the  National  Academy.  The  honored 
names  of  Grant,  Sherman,  Sheridan,  McPherson,  Thomas, 
and  of  many  others,  need  no  eulogy  in  the  present  vol- 
ume. Their  fame  is  a  part  of  the  nation's  history ;  it  can 
never  be  tarnished  by  selfish  depreciation,  nor  too  much 
lauded  by  a  grateful  country. 

Without  any  order  in  the  selection  indicative  of  invid- 
iousness,  let  us  first  consider  the  case  of  General  Alfred 
H,.  Terry. 

The  case  of  this  highly  accomplished  and  most  suc- 
cessful officer,  viewed  from  the  military  standpoint,  must 
be  considered  to  be  a  very  remarkable  one.  He  received 
a  high  literary  education  from  Yale  College,  and,  subse- 
quently studying  law,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Six  years  afterward,  he 
was  made  clerk  of  the  court  of  New  Haven  County, 
where  he  resided,  which  position  he  continued  to  fill  for 
the  six  following  years.  During  the  time,  however,  that 
he  was  driving  away -at  the  law,  the  real  bent  of  his 
genius  was  forcing  him  into  the  direction  of  a  military 
life.  He  had  become  attached  to  the  New  Haven 
County  militia,  and  in  1854  he  was  given  the  command 
of  the  Second  Regiment,  in  which  command  he  continued 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion,  at  which  date  his  real 


562  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

military  career  began.  He  was  then  nearly  thirty-three 
years  of  age,  and  within  the  period  of  five  years  there- 
after he  was  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  finest  military 
men  in  the  service  of  the  United  States.  This  extraor- 
dinary instance  of  military  development  after  the  first 
half  of  the  years  of  an  ordinary  life  had  been  devoted  to 
the  cultivation  and  practice  of  a  civil  profession,  and 
when  the  subject  of  remark  had  had  none  of  those  spe- 
cial branches  entering  into  his  education  which  are  con- 
sidered by  the  modern  world  to  form  an  indispensable 
part  of  the  qualifications  of  every  military  officer,  needs 
no  extended  comment  in  its  application  to  the  author's 
special  subject.  The  mere  statement  of  facts  is  sufifi- 
ciently  conclusive  of  the  correctness  of  the  author's  posi- 
tion and  argument,  apart  from  the  other  numerous  exam- 
ples which  have  been  herein  adduced. 

Every  school-boy  of  the  country  is  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  brilliant  career  of  General  Terry  during 
the  late  war,  and  no  general  repetition  of  it  is  necessary 
in  these  pages.  One  of  his  achievements,  however,  is  so 
pertinent  to  the  author's  objective  point  of  argument,  in 
that  it  directly  represents  a  strong  comparison  between 
inherent  military  genius  and  the  military  art  of  the 
schools,  that,  without  a  purpose  to  be  personally  invidi- 
ous, the  author  feels  wholly  justified  In  speaking  of  It  at 
length.  Every  military  reader  of  the  present  pages  will 
perceive  at  once  that  the  Fort  Fisher  incident  is  now 
referred  to. 

Fort  Fisher  and  Its  surroundings  constituted  the  rebel 


THE  AFFAIR  OF  FORT  FISHER.  563 

defense  of  the  harbor  of  Wilmington,  N.  C.  During  the 
progress  of  the  war  which,  under  the  mighty  genius  of 
Grant,  was  rapidly  approaching  its  close,  the  port  of  Wil- 
mington was  left  as  the  only  one  on  the  Southern  coast 
accessible  to  blockade-runners.  As  such  it  was  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  the  Union  cause  that  it  should 
be  closed.  But  a  still  further  importance  attached  to  it, 
as  connected  with  the  comprehensive  and  consummate 
plan  which  General  Grant  had  formed  to  finally  crush  the 
Rebellion.  The  General-in-Chief  had  determined  that 
the  same  force  should  subdue  Fort  Fisher,  thus  closing 
the  port,  that  he  intended  should  march  into  North  Caro- 
lina and  there  prevent  the  gathering  of  Confederate 
troops,  so  that  Sherman,  in  his  northward  march,  might 
crush  Johnston,  while  he  (Grant)  subdued  Lee  at  Rich- 
mond and  Petersburg.  Fort  Fisher  was  a  vital  point, 
therefore,  in  a  double  sense,  and  Grant  determined  that 
the  assault  upon  it  should  not  fail.  To  carry  out  his  pur- 
pose he  sent  one  of  the  most  powerful  fleets  ever  got 
together  to  attack  it  from  the  sea.  This  fleet  consisted 
of  about  sixty  vessels,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
Admiral  Porter.  As  a  land  force  he  sent  a  body  of 
selected  men,  numbering  about  six  thousand  five  hun- 
dred, whose  immediate  command  was  given  to  General 
Godfrey  Weitzel.  The  commander  of  the  Department 
of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  General  Benjamin  F. 
Butler,  took  station  upon  one  of  the  ships,  where  he  could 
be  in  ready  signal  communication  with  the  commander  of 
the  land  force. 


564  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

Three  months  before  the  attack  General  Weitzel,  with 
General  C.  K.  Graham,  had  made  a  reconnoissance  of  the 
work  from  the  sea  side,  in  order  to  determine  its  strength 
and  the  number  of  men  necessary  to  take  it,  and  a  report 
thereon  was  made  by  these  officers.  That  was  in  Sep- 
tember, 1864,  and  the  attempt  to  capture  it  was  made 
in  the  following  December. 

General  Weitzel,  who  had  been  especially  selected  for 
the  expedition,  was  a  high-class  West  Point  graduate, 
with  the  reputation  to  be  one  of  the  most  able  and  accom- 
plished engineers  who  ever  left  the  Academy. 

Admiral  Porter  began  the  siege  at  the  appointed  time, 
and;  as  appears  from  the  record,  thought  he  had  dis- 
mounted the  enemy's  guns.  Weitzel  landed  a  part  of  his 
force,  and  after  a  thorough  reconnoissance  of  the  work 
reported  to  General  Butler  that  in  his  judgment,  as  well 
as  in  that  of  his  officers,  a  successful  assault  with  the 
troops  at  hand  would  be  impossible,  as  they  could  not 
operate  when  the  fleet  was  firing,  while,  if  the  fleet  dis- 
continued to  fire,  the  guns  of  the  fort  would  be  turned 
upon  the  land  forces,  and  to  lead  them  against  such  a  fire 
would  be  simple  murder.  The  result  was  that  General 
Butler  recalled  the  force  to  the  ships,  and  the  expedition 
failed.  General  Grant  was  highly  incensed  at  this  result. 
He  knew  well  enough  that  he  could  have  carried  the 
work  with  the  means  provided,  and  in  his  "General 
Report  of  the  Operations  of  the  Army"  he  censured 
General  Butler  for  the  recall  of  the  troops,  and,  upon 
General  Grant's  request,  the  former  was  relieved  of  the 


GEN.    TERRY  TAKES  FORT  FISHER.  565 

command  of  the  department  and  General  Ord  was 
appointed  to  succeed  him. 

Grant  requested  Admiral  Porter  to  remain  until  he 
could  oro-anize  another  attack.  Sendinor  a  few  additional 
troops,  some  twelve  or  thirteen  hundred,  as  a  reinforce- 
ment, the  General-in-Chief  selected  General  A.  H.  Terry 
to  command  the  land  forces  during  the  second  attack. 
He  had  chosen  a  brilliant  engineer  the  first  time,  and  he 
now  chose  a  volunteer  officer  without  any  preliminary 
military  education.  The  result  of  this  wise  choice  of  that 
astute  man  is  well  known  to  the  reader.  Terry  went 
ashore  with  the  same  men  that  Weitzel  led,  under  the 
protection  of  the  fleet,  and,  instead  of  reconnoitering  to 
see  if  the  work  could  be  carried,  he  burnt  his  ships  in  the 
figurative  sense,  and  proceeded  to  carry  it. 

This  affair  gave  rise  to  heated  discussion  and  to  much 
misrepresentation  of  facts.  Regular  army  officers,  feeling 
that  the  reputation  of  West  Point  was  at  stake, 
denounced  General  Butler  as  the  cause  of  the  fiasco. 
General  Grant  censured  him  because  he  failed  to  carry 
out  the  express  order  for  the  intrenchment  of  the  troops 
on  shore  and  hastily  recalled  them  without  accomplish- 
ing the  end  of  the  expedition.  General  Butler  defended 
himself  by  adducing  testimony,  embracing  that  of  the 
rebel  General  Whiting,  commander  pro  tempore  of  the 
department,  who  was  wounded  and  captured  in  the  fort, 
which  testimony  was  intended  to  show  that  the  work  at  that 
time  could  not  have  been  taken.  Knowing  the  excellent 
qualities  of  General  Butler  very  well,  the  author  has  never 


566  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

doubted  that,  had  he  commanded  in  person  on  shore,  he 
would  have  carried  the  work,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
fleet,  beyond  a  doubt.  Butler's  real  vindication  seems  to 
rest  upon  the  fact  that  he  failed  because  he  relied  upon  the 
statement  of  an  officer  whose  judgment,  according  to 
report,  was  not  to  be  impeached. 

That  distinguished  and  accomplished  soldier,  Major- 
General  E.  D.  Sumner,  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he 
was  appointed  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army,  without  any  previous  military  education  or  experi- 
ence. From  this  time  his  brilliant  career  as  a  regular  army 
officer,  with  which  the  reader  is  familiar,  began.  General 
Philip  Kearney,  who  had  few  equals  in  all  that  goes  to 
make  the  successful  soldier,  with  high  accomplishment 
and  admirable  intrepidity,  was  a  student  of  law  until  he 
reached  his  twenty-second  year,  when  he  was  made  a  lieu- 
tenant in  the  First  Dragoons.  Soon  after  he  was  sent  to 
Europe  by  the  Government  to  study  and  report  upon  the 
French  cavalry  tactics.  He  fought  in  Africa  and  attained 
the  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  He  was  distinguished 
in  the  Mexican  War,  where  he  lost  an  arm.  He  fought 
in  Italy  and  received  additional  honors.  His  services  in 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion  were  of  the  highest  value.  In 
a  word,  he  was  a  volunteer  soldier  of  America,  recognized 
in  Europe  as  one  of  the  finest  military  men  of  his  time. 
General  Daniel  Sickles,  another  brilliant  and  distin- 
guished soldier,  was  a  practicing  lawyer  and  a  prominent 
politician  until  he  was  nearly  forty  years  of  age,  at  which 


SKETCH  OF  GEN.  DANIEL  SICKLES.  567 

time  he  went  to  the  Civil  War  as  colonel  of  a  volunteer 
regiment  that  he  had  raised.  The  eminently  brilliant 
military  career  of  General  Sickles  is  well  known  to  all 
Americans,  and  needs  no  eulogy  from  the  author. 
Major-General  J.  D.  Cox  was  also  a  practicing  lawyer  and 
politician  until  his  thirty-third  year.  With  no  previous 
military  education  or  experience  he  entered  the  army  in 
1 86 1  as  a  volunteer  and  rose  to  the  highest  military  rank. 
His  distinguished  services  are  so  well  known  as  to  need 
no  repetition  in  this  place.  Major-General  Jeff.  C.  Davis 
left  school  when  a  little  over  eighteen  to  join  Colonel 
James  H.  Lane's  volunteer  regiment  for  the  Mexican 
War.  For  gallant  conduct  in  the  several  battles  under 
Taylor  he  was  made  second  lieutenant  in  the  regular 
army.  He  was  one  of  the  gallant  spirits  who  defended 
Fort  Sumter  under  Robert  Anderson,  and  his  subsequent 
military  record  covers  services  of  the  highest  importance 
to  the  Government.  General  Lewis  Wallace,  who  dis- 
tinguished himself  throughout  the  Civil  War,  was  a 
student  of  law  who  went  to  the  Mexican  War  as  a  volun- 
teer. After  the  close  of  that  war  he  became  a  practicing 
lawyer,  and  so  remained  until  the  civil  conflict  took  him 
to  the  field.  General  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  a  young  lawyer, 
volunteered  as  a  private  in  the  Mexican  War,  and,  after 
earning  promotion,  returned  to  the  practice  of  law,  in 
which  he  remained  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion. 
His  services  were  of  a  brilliant  character  up  to  his  death, 
at  Shiloh.  General  James  S.  Wadsworth  was  educated 
for    civil    pursuits,    and    was    a    most    prominent    public 


568  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

man  until  the  outbreak  of  the  RebelHon,  when  he  had 
reached  his  fifty-fourth  year.  At  this  late  time  in  life  he 
entered  the  volunteer  army  and  rendered  most  distin- 
guished service.  David  B.  Birney  practiced  law  until  his 
thirty-sixth  year.  With  no  military  knowledge  whatever, 
he  entered  the  service  in  1861  as  a  volunteer,  and  through 
a  brilliant  military  career  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  major- 
general.  After  the  wounding  of  General  Sickles  at  Get- 
tysburg he  took  command  of  the  corps.  Frank  P.  Blair^ 
of  Missouri,  who  gained  distinction  as  a  soldier  during  the 
Civil  War,  was  also  a  lawyer,  and,  as  a  young  man,  had 
served  as  a  private  in  the  Mexican  War.  He  attained 
the  rank  of  major-general  through  brilliant  service  in  the 
West  and  South.  The  gallant  John  A.  McClernand 
was  a  farmer's  boy  who  conquered  a  knowledge  of  the 
law  and  was  admitted  to  its  practice.  He  was  a  volun- 
teer during  the  hostilities  against  the  Sac  and  Fox 
Indians.  Returning  to  the  law,  he  was  a  prominent  public 
man  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  at  which  time  he  was 
nearly  fifty  years  of  age.  His  military  career  was  a  line 
of  distinguished  successes,  as  all  know. 

The  distinguished  General  John  M.  Palmer  was  a  law- 
yer and  public  man  up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion, 
when,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  he  became  a  volun- 
teer soldier,  achieving  a  brilliant  record,  and  being  made 
major-general  in  recognition  of  his  services.  The 
brothers  Daniel  and  Robert  L.  McCook  were  lawyers 
with  no  military  knowledge  until  they  became  volunteers 
in    1 86 1.     Their  services  M^ere  recognized  by  promotion 


SKETCHES  OE  GALLANT  VOLUNTEER  OEEICERS.  569 

to  the  grade  of  brigadier-general.  The  distinguished 
Michael  Corcoran  was  educated  as  a  civilian  and  entered 
the  volunteer  army  in  1861  as  colonel  of  a  New  York 
militia  regiment — the  Sixty-ninth  — which  gathered  im- 
perishable garlands  for  gallant  and  invincible  fighting. 
General  Corcoran's  record  as  a  military  officer  of  great 
capacity  has  never  been  called  in  question.  General 
James  Shields  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  had  seen 
some  military  service  in  the  Florida  War.  Entering  the 
Mexican  War  as  a  volunteer,  he  achieved  great  distinction 
as  a  gallant  and  capable  soldier,  and  was  made  brigadier- 
general.  Returning  to  civil  life  at  the  close  of  the  Mex- 
ican War,  he  again  became  a  soldier  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Rebellion.  His  gallant  record  needs  no  repetition.  The 
celebrated  Irish  leader  Thomas  Francis  Meagher  had  no 
military  experience  until  he  was  nearly  forty  years  of  age, 
when  he  entered  the  volunteer  service  of  our  country  as 
captain  in  the  glorious  Sixty-ninth  New  York.  His 
services  as  a  soldier  were  of  such  distinction  as  to  earn 
the  promotion  to  the  grade  of  brigadier-general.  Colonel 
James  Mulligan,  the  hero  of  the  defense  of  Lexington  in 
the  State  of  Missouri,  was  educated  to  be  a  lawyer.  When 
thirty-one  years  of  age,  he  volunteered  for  the  defense  of 
his  country.  His  distinguished  record  as  a  soldier  will 
remain  an  imperishable  part  of  American  history.  The 
gallant  John  A.  Dix  was  educated  to  the  law,  and  went  into 
the  War  of  1 8 1 2  as  a  volunteer.  H  is  career  as  a  public  man 
up  to  the  breaking-out  of  the  Rebellion  is  well  known. 
Though  over  sixty  years  of  age,  he  demonstrated  evident 


570  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

military  talent  during  the  struggle  of  the  nation  for  life. 
Generals  Benjamin  Butler,  Thomas  Ewing,  James  A. 
Garfield,  John  Wc  Geary,  John  F.  Hartranft,  Robert  B. 
Mitchell,  M.  F.  Force,  Richard  Oglesby,  General  John 
F.  Miller,  General  Lucius  Fairchild,  General  John  E. 
Smith,  and  many  other  distinguished  volunteers  of  the  late 
war  were  educated  to  law  and  were  engaged  in  practice  or 
in  public  life  when  entering  the  service  in  1861,  General 
James  H.  Lane,  Robert  H.  Milroy,  and  many  other  dis- 
tinguished officers  of  the  Rebellion  were  lawyers  by  pro- 
fession who  had  seen  service  in  the  Mexican  War. 
General  James  G.  Blunt,  the  gallant  defender  of  Kansas 
and  Missouri,  was  a  practicing  physician  of  Southern 
Kansas  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  with  no  knowledge  of 
military  affairs.  His  career  upon  the  border  in  defense  of 
the  Union  was  remarkable  in  its  exhibition  of  rare  mili- 
tary genius. 

In  the  foregoing  enumeration  the  author  has  selected 
the  names  presented  at  random  as  strong  illustrations  of 
the  subject  under  consideration.  Other  instances  equally 
to  the  point  could  easily  be  presented.  The  history  of 
the  civil  conflict  abounds  with  names  of  brilliant  military 
men  who  up  to  the  time  of  entering  the  service  had 
received  no  military  education,  and  who  had  enjoyed  no 
military  experience  whatever. 

It  will  be  observed  that  such  illustrations  as  have  thus 
been  cited  are  confined  to  citizens  of  the  United  States 
more  or  less  distinguished  in  the  capacity  of  the  soldier. 
It  would  be  easy  to  summon   to  the  view  of  the   reader 


ANECDO  TE  OF  BARON  JOMINI.  5  7 1 

examples  of  great  military  men  of  all  ages  and  countries 
of  the  world  whose  careers  tell  the  same  story  as  is 
revealed  to  us  in  modern  times.  In  closing  the  com- 
mentary the  reader's  permission  is  asked  for  the  mention 
of  one  example  taken  from  the  Old  World  —  that  of 
Baron  Henri  Jomini.  This  distinguished  individual,  as  all 
know,  was  the  author  of  over  thirty  volumes  upon  the  art 
of  war  in  its  different  branches  and  phases.  His  treatises 
are  the  standards  of  all  nations.  Jomini  was  a  Swiss  by 
birth,  and  he  seems  to  have  had  the  pure  military  inspira- 
tion. As  a  very  young  man  he  made  every  attempt  to 
obtain  a  military  education,  but,  being  disappointed  in  this, 
he  was  forced  into  commercial  pursuits  for  a  livelihood. 
While  serving  in  the  capacity  of  broker's  clerk  for  a  firm 
in  Paris,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  General  Ney,  by 
whose  aid  he  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  Napoleon.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-five  he  produced  the  first  part  of  his  cel- 
ebrated work  entitled  "  A  Treatise  upon  Great  Military 
Operations."  He  is  the  only  rival  Napoleon  ever  had  in 
the  development  of  those  intricate  plans  —  tactical  and 
strategical — in  the  practical  application  of  which  the 
great  Frenchman  filled  the  military  world  with  awe  and 
astonishment.  After  reading  Jomini's  first  book  Napoleon 
is  said  to  have  been  angry  because  its  publication  was  per- 
mitted, as  all  of  his  (Napoleon's)  military  secrets  would 
thus  be  exposed  to  his  enemies.  As  a  practical  military 
man  Jomini  obtained  great  distinction  in  the  French 
campaigns  under  the  Emperor,  and  subsequently  in  the 
Russian  service.     His  example  is  that  of  a  man  who  has 


572  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA, 

given  military  laws  to  the  world  and  who,  with  no  prelim- 
inary advantages  whatever,  but  by  the  inspiration  of 
inherent  genius,  made  himself  the  great  teacher  of 
teachers,  and  the  acknowledged  exponent  of  the  art  of 
war. 

In  the  preceding  citation  of  the  names  of  our  Amer- 
ican heroes  no  mention  is  made  of  the  great  central  figures 
of  our  naval  achievements  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
—  of  our  Dupont,  our  Farragut,  our  Goldsborough,  our 
Rowan,  our  Rodgers,  our  Foote,  our  John  L.  Worden, 
and  our  David  D.  Porter.  These  distinguished  men  were, 
without  exception,  reared  under  the  old  system  of  making- 
sailors,  and  by  their  glorious  record  during  that  eventful 
struggle  they  proved  themselves  worthy  representatives 
of  those  great  characters  who  during  the  War  of  1812 
raised  the  standard  of  the  American  navy,  small  in  size  as 
it  then  was,  to  a  rank  inferior  to  none. 

Even  with  this  omission  there  may  be  some  of  his 
readers  disposed  to  the  opinion  that  the  author  has  illus- 
trated this  branch  of  his  subject  wdth  too  great  profuse- 
ness.  It  should  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  the 
matter  under  investigation  and  argument  belongs  to  that 
class  of  subjects  which,  in  the  establishment  of  fixed  and 
safe  rules  of  deduction,  require  the  support  of  many  facts 
all  bearing  upon  the  main  proposition.  The  old  proverb 
declares  that  "one  swallow  makes  no  spring,"  and  it  is  no 
less  true  that  one  instance  establishes  no  general  law.  It 
has  been  the  author's  purpose  to  fix  beyond  the  reach  of 
successful   contradiction  the  two  propositions  heretofore 


''WHITE  GIFTS  AND  INJUN  GIFTS."  573 

maintained  in  these  pages,  viz.:  that  the  past  and  present 
life  of  the  American  RepubHc  is  the  gift  of  its  citizen- 
soldiery,  while  its  future  lies  in  the  same  hands ;  and  that 
where  the  true  military  afflatus  exists  as  a  native  endow- 
ment, it  will  find  expansion,  regardless  of  preliminary 
teaching  and  in  defiance  of  every  restraint.  The  impulse 
belongs  to  the  inherent,  or,  more  broadly  stated,  to  the 
physical  constitution  of  the  individual.  This  fact  has 
been  stated  by  innumerable  writers  in  many  forms  of 
assertion,  but,  perhaps,  in  none  more  simply  or  more  poeti- 
cally than  in  that  of  our  own  novelist,  Fenimore  Cooper,, 
who  makes  the  "Deerslayer"  say,  in  the  novel  of  that 
name,  after  an  honest  homily  upon  the  Indian  character: 
"All  men,  whoever  they  be,  have  their  gifts:  the  white 
man  has  white  gifts,  and  the  Injun  man  has  Injun  gifts." 
A  greater  truth  lay  beneath  the  surface  of  the  hardy 
frontiersman's  simple  homily  than  was  dreamed  of  in  his 
crude  philosophy. 

There  is  one  other  point  that  the  author  feels  impelled 
to  mention  in  closing  this  branch  of  his  subject.  One 
aspect  of  the  question  has  been  dwelt  upon  and  abun- 
dantly illustrated  by  living  reference  and  example.  The 
author  has  admitted  everywhere  the  great  advantage  of 
an  expert  education,  so  to  express  it,  to  the  individual 
possessing  the  intimate  aptitude  for  the  military  profession. 
Further  than  this,  he  has  emphatically  declared  that  no 
degree  of  preparatory  education,  nor  of  scholastic  train- 
ing, can  make  a  competent  and  reliable  officer  of  a  man 
who  is  destitute  of  the  aptitude  mentioned.      Beyond  this 


574  ^-^^  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

he  has  not  gone,  but  he  has  now  arrived  at  a  point,  relat- 
ing to  the  same  subject,  at  which  he  is  prepared  to  make 
still  another  proposition.  BrieHy  stated,  this  may  be 
covered  by  the  following  assertion  :  that,  in  certain  mental 
compositions,  the  extreme  scholastic  training  for  the  mili- 
tary life  is  positively  detrimental  to  the  quick  conception 
and  rapid  execution  of  those  military  plans  and  move- 
ments through  which  one  military  man  accomplishes  vic- 
tory in  opposition  to  another. 

Upon  this  point  the  example  of  the  British  General 
Braddock,  already  cited  in  the  previous  pages,  may  again 
be  brought  to  view.  Irving,  in  his  Life  of  Washington, 
says  that  "  Braddock  was  a  veteran  in  service,  having  been 
upwards  of  forty  years  in  the  Guards  —  that  school  of 
exact  discipline  and  technical  punctilios."  Of  Braddock's 
celebrated  expedition  Washington  himself  wrote :  "  I 
found  that  instead  of  pushing  on  with  vigor,  without 
regarding  a  little  rough  road,  they  were  halting  to  level 
every  mole-hill  and  to  erect  bridges  over  every  brook,  by 
which  means  we  were  four  days  in  getting  twelve  miles." 
Irving  still  further  remarks  of  Braddock's  failure  to  adopt 
the  wholesome  advice  of  Washington,  a  soldier  by  nature, 
as  the  after  record  proves,  that  "the  military  education  of 
the  former  stood  in  the  way.  He  was  so  bigoted  to  the 
regular  and  elaborate  tactics  of  Europe  that  he  could  not 
stoop  to  the  make-shift  expedients  of  a  new  country, 
where  every  difficulty  is  encountered  and  mastered  in  a 
rough-and-ready  style,  and  that  in  consequence  of  adher- 
ing to  technical  rules  and  military  forms  General  Brad- 


GENERAL    IVEITZEL  AND  FORT  EI  SI/ ER. 


575 


dock  consumed   more   than   a  month  in  marching  some- 
thing above  one  hundred  miles." 

But  it  seems  unnecessary  to  go  as  far  back  as  the  time 
of  Braddock  to  find  much  more  pronounced  demonstration 
of  the  assertion  above  made.  With  no  personal  feeling 
against  our  worthy  soldiers,  and  dealing  exclusively  with 
matters  belonging  to  the  general  people,  the  citation  of 
examples  from  our  late  war  certainly  cannot  be  objected 
to,  provided,  of  course,  that  the  underlying  facts  be  fairly 
stated.  What  significance,  then,  has  the  affair  at  Fort 
Fisher,  already  touched  upon  in  the  present  chapter?  By 
reference  to  the  table  of  West  Point  graduates  it  will  be 
found  that  General  Weitzel,  who  commanded  the  land 
force  during  the  first  expedition,  stood  second  in  the  list 
oi  alumni  ioY  th.Q  ye2iY  1855.  As  far  as  book  knowledge 
of  his  profession  was  concerned,  General  Weitzel  was  a 
highly  accomplished  officer ;  indeed,  his  knowledge  of 
engineering  was  exceptional,  and  it  may  be  added  that 
his  personal  bravery  was  never  called  in  question.  Then, 
why  did  he  not  take  Fort  Fisher?  General  Terry,  a 
simple  volunteer  soldier  of  the  war,  with  no  elaborately 
cultivated  knowledge  of  mathematics  and  engineering  in 
all  of  their  branches  and  ramifications,  with  the  same 
fleet,  commanded  by  the  same  officer,  and  with  the  iden- 
tical men  who  composed  the  first  force,  swelled  by  an 
insignificant  reinforcement  of  a  few  hundred  troops  to 
meet  a  like  reinforcement  of  the  enemy,  took  the  work 
within  a  month  of  General  Weitzel's  failure.  This  con- 
trast was  so  strongly  against  the  present  system  of  mili- 


576  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

tary  education  that  It  was  sought  to  cast  the  onus  of 
blame  upon  that  gallant  and  undoubtedly  capable  military 
man,  General  Benjamin  Butler,  who,  as  commander  of 
the  department,  had  general  command  of  the  first  expedi- 
tion. That  this  charge  had  no  foundation  in  justice 
appears  self-evident  from  the  fact  that  General  Butler  did 
not  go  ashore  at  all,  but  that  he  wholly  relied  upon  the 
report  of  his  subordinate  officer.  There  can  be  no  dis' 
pute  of  the  record  upon  this  point. 

The  truth  of  the  matter  is  that  General  Weitzel's 
judgment  of  the  impregnability  of  the  work  was  founded 
upon  the  precepts  of  his  academic  education,  and  not 
upon  the  comprehensive  expedients  and  brilliant  dash  of 
the  soldier,  in  whose  lexicon  the  word  fail  has  no  place. 
It  is  a  circumstance  as  amusing  as  it  is  well  attested 
that  during  many  of  the  battles  in  Mexico  the  Mexicans 
believed  that,  according  to  every  law  of  the  books  and 
every  precept  of  the  professors  of  their  m.ilitary  academy, 
the  Americans  had  been  whipped,  and  they  were  pro- 
foundly astonished,  not  to  say  chagrined,  that  the 
"  Yengee  "  volunteers  persisted  in  saying  that  they  were 
not  whipped,  and  that  they  had  no  intention  of  being 
whipped.  The  illustration  may  not  be  considered  very 
apt  by  some,  but  within  the  narrow  circle  of  the  principle 
underlying  the  timid  move  upon  Fort  Fisher  and  the 
obstinate  resistance  of  the  volunteers  in  Mexico  is  to  be 
found  an  explanation  of  the  real  difference  between  the 
over-educated  academic  military  strategist  and  the  sol- 
dier who   has  been   endowed  by  nature  with  those  ele- 


WOODEN  GUNS  AND  MALTREATED  SOLDIERS.  577 

ments   of   success  which   neither  precept    can    give   nor 
example  impart. 

Were  the  author  disposed  to  follow  this  subject  to 
the  point  of  exhaustion,  he  could  make  an  array  of  well 
known  cases,  gathered  from  many  of  the  greatest  battle- 
fields of  the  recent  war,  and  he  could  further  set  forth, 
in  strong  light,  the  instance  of  a  picked  army— ;- large, 
well  equipped,  well  officered,  and  all  eagerness  for  the 
conflict  —  compelled  to  lie  for  months  in  disease-breeding 
swamps  while  elaborate  siege  operations  were  being  car- 
ried out  by  the  General  in  command  —  a  man  distin- 
guished for  his  professional  accomplishments  —  the  ter- 
mination of  which  operations  revealed  the  circumstance 
that  the  enemy  had  fled  an  indefinite  time  previously, 
leaving  to  our  troops  the  capture  of  a  stock  of  wooden 
artillery  against  whose  frowning  muzzles  such  elaborate 
and  expensive  precautions  had  been  taken.  But,  having 
proven  by  the  examples  and  facts  herein  cited  that  mili- 
tary education  alone  cannot  make  a  military  man,  the 
author  is  willing  to  leave  the  subject  at  this  point  to  the 
reflective  minds  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE     INJUSTICE     OF     THE      PRESENT     MILITARY     SYSTEM     TO 

THE    CITIZEN-SOLDIERY THE    AGGRESSIVENESS    OF    WEST 

POINT THE    VOLUNTEER   CONSIDERED  A   CHARLATAN    BY 

THE     ACADEMIC     SOLDIERS THE      COUNTRY      IMPERILED 

BY  FEUDS  BETWEEN  THE  PROFESSIONAL  SOLDIERS  OF 
THE  ACADEMY USURPATION  OF  MILITARY  LEGISLA- 
TION    BY    WEST     POINT     INFLUENCE OFFICIAL     LIST    OF 

THE  RETIRED  OFFICERS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  SHOW- 
ING     THEIR      NAMES,      RANK,      AND      ANNUAL      PAY      AND 

ALLOWANCES A    STARTLING    EXHIBIT   OF    INJUSTICE    TO 

THE    VOLUNTEER. 

THE  military  power  of  the  Republic,  then,  has  always 
resided,  does  now  reside,  and  must  continue  to 
reside,  as  long  as  the  present  form  of  government  exists, 
in  the  volunteers  —  the  citizen-soldiers  of  America. 
Every  obligation  which  is  imposed  by  national  and  per- 
sonal protection  belongs  in  the  main  to  them  —  the 
strong  right  arm  of  our  free  institutions.  It  is  no  part  of 
the  author's  purpose  to  complain  that  the  people  at  large 
have  not  been  duly  grateful  to  their  benefactors  for  the 
sacrifices  made  by  the  latter.  The  national  cemeteries, 
the  beautiful  monuments,  the  pension  lists  of  the  Govern- 
ment, the  touching  services  of  appreciation  annually  per- 
formed at  the  graves  of  the  nation's  defenders,  all  attest 

578 


PAY  OF  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER.  579 

the  pervading  gratitude  of  our  people.  But,  uncon- 
sciously to  the  latter,  our  military  system,  which  has 
been  so  fully  discussed  herein,  has  been  so  formed  and 
so  conducted  as  to  impose  upon  our  volunteer  soldiery 
the  most  flagrant  injustice.  To  the  showing  of  this 
point  the  present  chapter  will  be  devoted. 

Though  the  American  soldier,  volunteer  and  regular, 
receives  a  higher  rate  of  money  compensation  while  in 
service  than  does  the  soldier  of  any  European  nation, 
this  compensation  is  by  no  means  adequate  to  the  nature 
of  the  case ;  nor  does  the  sum  paid  by  our  people  upon 
account  of  military  defense  and  protection  even  nearly 
approximate  the  yearly  average  of  the  sum  paid  by  any 
first-class  nation  upon  the  same  account.  The  explana- 
tion of  this  fact  is  sufficiently  obvious,  being  found  in  the 
circumstance  that  while  the  pay  of  the  European  soldier 
is  small,  his  service  and  the  resulting  expense  to  his  gov- 
ernment are  continuous,  while  the  pay  of  the  American 
volunteer  is  periodical,  the  Government  only  being  called 
to  disburse  it  when  a  state  of  actual  war  exists.  In  this 
respect  the  Government  enjoys  the  favorable  position  of 
a  private  employer  who  is  able  to  call  to  his  service  at  an}^ 
moment  an  employe  for  a  limited  period,  and  who  is  free 
to  dismiss  him  when  the  service  is  performed.  This  priv- 
ilege is  one  resulting  from  our  republican  Government. 
The  people  constitute  the  Government :  to  them  belongs 
the  purse,  and  upon  them  devolves  the  duty  of  maintain- 
ing their  privileges. 

The  foregoing  statements  concerning  the  pay  of  our 


580  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

volunteer  soldiers  are  made  In  this  connection  not  be- 
cause of  any  complaint  against  the  rate  of  emolument, 
but  to  emphasize  the  demand  that  their  present  emolu- 
ments, being  none  too  great,  should  not  be  endangered 
by  the  attempts  of  individuals  or  parties  to  manufacture 
political  capital  upon  the  basis  of  an  economy  as  false  as 
it  is  pernicious  and  as  unjust  as  it  is  dangerous  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  country. 

Beyond  all  this,  however,  which  the  author  has  thrown 
in  as  an  incidental  suggestion,  the  volunteer  soldiery  has 
ever  been  placed  in  a  false  position,  involving,  as  before 
said,  the  most  flagrant  injustice  to  a  body  of  men  without 
whose  patriotic  services  the  Republic  could  not  survive 
an  armed  attack  of  any  strength  by  its  enemies. 

Strangely  enough  the  military  interest  of  the  govern- 
ing classes  of  our  country  has  always  centered  in  the 
small  body  of  men  —  a  mere  national  police  force  —  called 
the  "regular"  army  of  the  United  States.  Since  the 
effective  establishment  of  the  Academy  at  West  Point 
this  institution  has  been  constituted  the  special  reposi- 
tory of  the  entire  military  establishment.  Instead  of  its 
functions  being  limited  to  imparting  an  education  in  the 
science  and  art  of  war  to  such  pupils  as  may  be  sent  there 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  it,  the  institution,  arrogating 
to  itself  the  sole  military  knowledge  of  *a  people  military 
by  natural  impulse  and  by  the  general  habits  and  sur- 
roundings of  their  life,  has  for  years  past  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  military  interests  of  the  Government  and  has 
conducted    those   interests   as    the   sole    property   of   the 


GOVERNMENT  INFLUENCE  OF   WEST  POINT.  58  I 

select  circle  which  by  the  decrees  of  West  Point  has  been 
constituted  the  only  true  exponent  of  the  art  of  war  upon 
the  American  continent. 

Now,  this  may  seem  a  harsh  statement,  and  by  some  it 
may  be  deemed  an  ill-natured  one.  The  author  sincerely 
wishes  that  the  facts  were  not  such  as  to  compel  it,  but 
there  is  no  volunteer  soldier  in  our  country  who  does  not 
know  that  they  are.  The  matter  now  under  consideration 
is  one  of  great  importance  to  our  country ;  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  citizen  to  become  familiar  with  the  question 
embraced  in  it,  as  this  question,  soon  or  late,  must  be 
met  and  solved  by  our  people. 

The  assertion  just  made  that  the  West  Point  influence 
had  become  the  dominating  power  of  our  military 
interests  does  not  need  much  argument  for  its  support, 
as  a  superficial  investigation  of  the  facts  will  be  amply 
sufficient  to  demonstrate  its  truth.  This  influence,  in  vir- 
tue of  our  military  system,  by  which  expert  military  knowl- 
edge of  the  country  is  confined  by  the  Government  to 
the  small  number  of  individuals  whose  names  constitute 
the  official  roster  of  the  United  States  army,  has  usurped 
the  military  organization  of  the  country  to  an  extent  not 
realized  by  a  superficial  observer.  Giving  the  institution 
personality,  it  may  be  said  that  West  Point  has  pushed 
itself  to  the  head  of  the  various  executive  bureaus  of  the 
War  Department.  It  has  installed  itself  in  the  Quarter- 
master-General's office,  in  that  of  the  Paymaster-General, 
of  the  Commissary-General,  of  the  Adjutant-General,  of  the 
Inspector-General,  etc.,  etc.     Its  officers,  with  some  recent 


582  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

exceptions,  fill  the  whole  army,  and  while  it  has  not  as  yet 
taken  the  Cabinet  portfolio  of  the  War  Department,  it 
practically  directs  that  department,  as,  because  of  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  War  Secretary  is  generally  a  civilian, 
the  actual  administration  of  the  office  falls  upon  the  mili- 
tary advisers  of  the  Government.  But  West  Point  goes 
farther  than  this,  and  by  means  of  its  potent  and  extended 
influence  it  manages  to  control  to  a  very  large  extent  the 
military  legislation  of  Congress. 

The  effect  of  this  preeminence  has  been,  and  still  is, 
to  prevent  any  development  of  the  volunteer  service. 
Regarding  no  man  as  a  competent  soldier  who  does  not 
pass  the  sacred  portals  of  West  Point,  an  ex-cathedra  ban 
is  pronounced  by  the  institution  against  the  volunteer 
officer,  who  is  then  registered  as  an  empyric  in  the  profes- 
sion of  arms. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  late  Civil  War,  the  whole 
organization  of  the  army  was  thus  in  the  hands  of  West 
Point.  Such  being  the  case,  the  entire  roster  of  the 
institution  was  exhausted  in  officering  the  various  divis- 
ions of  the  army  before  an  important  command  was  given 
to  a  volunteer.  This  is  a  well-known  fact.  But  the  evil 
went  farther  than  that,  and  the  hostility  of  West  Point  to 
the  volunteer  officers  openly  manifested  itself  in  attempts 
by  —  perhaps  we  may  say  —  the  majority  of  the  "  regular" 
officers  to  prevent  any  volunteer  from  being  a  successful 
officer.  It  is  a  shame  upon  us  that  in  that  dreadful  crisis 
of  our  country's  fate  there  were  many  flagrant  instances  of 
failure  to  our  arms,  and  consequent  peril  to  the  nation. 


WEST  POIN T  A  CA INS T  THE   VOL  UN TEERS.  583 

arising  from  a  determination  to  prevent  the  success  of  the 
volunteer  officers. 

This  utter  sacrifice  of  the  country's  fate  upon  the  altar 
of  professional  jealousy  by  those  who  had  been  reared  by 
the  nation  expressly  to  defend  it,  was  cruel  and  most 
wicked.  But  the  jealousy  spoken  of  was  not  confined  to 
hostility  against  the  volunteer  officers.  This  green-eyed 
monster,  so  perversive  of  the  noblest  impulses  of  man,  was 
extended,  in  not  a  few  instances  only,  to  the  ranks  of  the 
elect  themselves ;  and  it  is  a  notorious  fact  that  the  nation's 
life  was  seriously  imperiled  upon  at  least  one  momentous 
occasion  by  the  feuds  between  the  partisans  of  different 
West  Point  commanders.  This  latter  circumstance  is  in 
itself  a  strong  argument  against  the  impolicy  of  confining 
the  military  interests  of  a  great  nation  to  so  select  a 
circle  of  individuals  as  constitute  the  military  peace  estab- 
lishment of  our  country. 

The  effect  of  the  West  Point  system,  then,  has  been  to 
manacle  and  even  to  crush,  as  far  as  possible,  the  volun- 
teer and  his  aspirations  for  recognition.  For  years  we  have 
been  compelled  to  witness  a  systematic  elevation  of  the 
regular  over  the  head  of  the  volunteer,  without  regard  to 
questions  of  fitness  and  ability,  in  every  instance  where 
the  two  classes  have  come  in  competition.  Through  the 
constant  assertions  of  West  Point,  the  people  at  large  had 
arrived  at  the  belief  of  the  superiority  of  the  academically 
educated  soldier,  and  it  required  the  brilliant  deeds  of  the 
volunteer  hosts  of  the  civil  struggle  to  prevent  the  general 
acceptance  of  that  belief.      It  has  been  a  part  of  the  task 


584  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

of  the  present  work  to  explode  this  false  pretension  of  the 
Military  Academy. 

It  has  been  said  herein  that  the  West  Point  influence 
has  controlled  the  military  legislation  of  the  General 
Government.  The  statute  books  furnish  ample  demon- 
stration of  the  truth  of  this  assertion.  But,  apart  from  the 
usurpation  of  the  government  machinery  of  our  military 
system,  the  oppression  of  the  volunteer  officers  is  nowhere 
more  flagrantly  exhibited  than  in  the  discrimination 
between  the  two  classes  of  officers  in  the  matter  of  pay, 
etc.  The  facts  relating  to  this  point  are  so  little  known 
by  the  general  people  that  the  author  has  caused  to  be 
prepared  an  official  list  of  the  retired  officers  of  the 
United  States,  showing  their  rank  and  annual  pay  and 
allowances,  to  December  31,  1885.  This  interesting  table, 
which  the  author  appends  to  this  chapter,  marked  Table 
XII.,  tells  its  own  story,  and  therefore  admits  of  but 
little  argument.  The  reader  will  doubtless  ask  why  a 
captain,  for  instance,  of  the  regular  army,  disabled  by  a 
wound  in  a  certain  battle,  should  be  retired  upon  a  pay  of 
$2,100  or  of  $1,800,  while  a  captain  of  the  volunteer 
service,  perhaps  wounded  in  a  precisely  similar  manner, 
upon  the  same  day  and  in  the  same  battle,  should  receive 
as  a  pension  the  miserable  pittance  of  $240  per  year,  and 
possibly  be  compelled  to  struggle  pretty  hard  for  even 
that  sum. 

The  author  has  asked  that  question  a  great  many 
times  of  those  who  should  be  able  to  answer  it,  but  he 
has  never  received  any  satisfactory  explanation.      If  it  be 


VOLUNTEERS  MUST  RECEIVE  JUSTICE.  585 

alleged,  as  It  usually  is,  that  the  regular  officer  makes  a 
life  profession  of  the  military  calling,  and  therefore 
deserves  subsequent  support,  it  may  be  replied  that  the 
volunteer  soldier,  in  the  ranks  or  as  an  officer,  is  much 
more  deserving,  upon  all  accounts,  of  the  generous  sup- 
port of  his  country.  During  the  period  that  his  services 
are  not  actually  needed  he  contributes  to  the  maintenance 
of  the  Government  in  the  capacity  of  a  private  citizen,  and 
draws  nothing  from  its  treasury.  When  danger  threatens 
the  nation  he  leaves  his  private  business,  his  family, 
friends,  home  comforts  —  everything,  to  render  vital  ser- 
vice to  that  nation.  Returning  to  his  home  after  an 
absence  sufficiently  prolonged  to  break  up  his  business, 
disabled  from  his  wound  and  without  a  competence  — 
with  a  family  to  support,  perhaps — what  must  be  the 
future  of  that  man  ? 

There  is  something  here  that  calls  upon  us  in  tones 
that  we  should  not  disregard  to  look  to  the  interests  of 
the  nation  in  this  very  direction.  Knowing  that  the  very 
■life  of  the  Government  rests  in  the  hands  of  its  volunteer 
soldiery,  is  it  wise,  is  it  just,  is  it  safe,  to  tamper  with  a 
subject  of  complaint  wider,  deeper  than  many  dream  of? 

The  subject  thus  presented  is  one  of  vast  importance 
to  the  American  people,  and  the  author  urges  upon  his 
fellow-citizens  the  supreme  duty  of  investigating  our  mili- 
tary system  and  remodeling  it  so  as  to  bring  it  fully  to 
rest  upon  a  firm  basis  of  justice,  as  well  as  of  wise  expedi- 
ency. The  attached  table  will  amply  repay  the  reader 
for  a  careful  perusal. 


586 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 


Table  XII, 

List  of  retired  officers  of  the  United  States  Ar7ny  —  Rank,  pay,  and  allow- 
ances per  annu7n,  to  December  31,  1885. 


Name. 


I.  Sherman,  William  T., 
Sherman,  William  T. . 

Sherman,  William  T.. 

1.  Rickets,  James  B 

2.  Sickles,  Daniel 

3.  Robinson,  John  C... 

4.  Carroll,  Samuel  S 

5.  McDowell,  Irvin 

1.  Paul,  Gabriel  R 

Paul,  Gabriel  R , 

Paul,  Gabriel  R 

2.  Harney,  William  S.. . , 

3.  Fessenden,  Francis.., 

4.  Long,  Eli 

5.  Johnson,  Richard  W.. 

6.  Wood,  Thomas  J. . . . , 

7.  Sweeney,  Thomas  W, 

8.  Mcintosh,  John  B..    , 
g.   Hardin,  Martin  D. . . . , 

10.  Brice,  Benjamin  W.  . 

11.  Crawford,  Samuel  W. 

12.  Cooke,  Philip  St.  J... 

13.  Hott,  Joseph 

14.  Emory,  William  H.. . 

15.  Hammond,  William  A 

16.  Townsend,  Edward  D 

17.  Marcy,  Randolph  B. . 

18.  Dunn,  William  McK., 

19.  Meigs,  Montgomery  C 

20.  Brown,  Nathan  W. .  . , 


General ,    . . 

General,  quarters, 

Total 

Major-General 

Major-General 

Major-General 

Major-General 

Major-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General,  q'trs 

Total 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 

Brigadier-General 


Annual  pay 

Pension    to 

and 

Volu7itcers 

allowances. 

of  equal  rajtk. 

$13,500 

1,500 

$15,000 

1  5,625 

$360 

5.625 

360 

5.625 

360 

5,625 

360 

5,625 

360 

5,500 

360 

720 

360 

360 

1  6,220 

360 

%  4.125 

360 

4.125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4.125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

Without  pay 

4,125 

360 

4.125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

4,125 

360 

RETIRED  OFFICERS  OF  THE   U.  S.  ARMY. 


587 


Names. 


Annual  pay 

and 
allowance^. 


Pension    to 

Voiiinleers 

of  equal  rank. 


21.  Rucker,  Daniel  H 

22.  Ingalls,  Rufus 

23.  Wright,  Horatio  G 

24.  McKenzie,  Ronald  S. . . 

25.  Augur,  Christ.  C 

26.  Davis,  Nelson  H 

1.  Sewell,  Washington. . . . 

2.  Day,  Hannibal 

3.  Morrison,  Pitcairn 

4.  Cady,  Albemarle 

5.  Walker,  Moses  B 

6.  Hunter,  David 

7.  Yates,  Theodore 

8.  Alexander,  Edward  B. . 
g.  Swords,  Thomas 

10.  Clary,  Robert  E 

11.  Lewis,  John  R 

12.  Catlin,  Isaac  S 

13.  Dawson,  Samuel  K. . . . 

14.  Swayne,  Wager 

15.  Carrington,  Henry  B  . . 

16.  Shepherd,  Oliver  L. . . . 

17.  Graham,  Lawrence 

18.  Hinks,  Edward  W 

19.  Starr,  Samuel  H 

20.  Rodenbaugh,  Theoph.  F 

21.  Kilpatrick,  Robert  L. . . 

22.  McNett,  Andrew  J 

23.  Puiford,  John 

24.  Reeve,  Isaac  V.  D 

25.  Granger,  Robert  S 

26.  Doubleday,  Abner 

27.  CuUum,  George  W 

28.  Wallen,  Henry  D 

29.  Bomford,  James  V 

30.  Whiteley,  Robert  H.  K. 

31.  Brooks,  Horace 

32.  Reynolds,  Joseph  J. . . 

33.  Roberts,  Joseph 

34.  Allen,  Robert 


Brigadier-General 
Brigadier-General 
Brigadier-General 
Brigadier-General 
Brigadier-General 
Brigadier-General 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel 

Colonel  ......... 


4.123 
4.125 
4.125 
4-125 
4,125 

3.375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3.375 
3,375 
3.375 
3,375 
3.375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3.375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3.375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3.375 
3.375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3.375 
3,375 
3,375 


$360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 

360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 


588 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  A  31  ERIC  A. 


Name. 


Anmial  pay 
and 

allozvances . 


Pension  to 

Voluntee7's 
of  equal  rank. 


35.  Pitcher,  Thomas  G. . . 

36.  De  Trobriand,  Phil.  R 

37.  Floyd-Jones,  De  Laney 

38.  Palmer,  Innis  N 

39.  Woodward,  George  H. 

40.  Elliott,  Washington  L. 

41.  Gregg,  John  I 

42.  Oakes,  James 

43.  Vodges,  Israel 

44.  Schriver,  Edmund  .... 

45.  Van  Vliet,  Stewart.... 

46.  Woods,  Samuel 

47.  Smith,   John  E 

48.  Crittenden,  Thomas  L 

49.  Hagner,  Peter  V 

50.  Fry,  James  B 

51.  Haller,  Granville  O. . . 

52.  Lugcnbeel,   Pinkney.. 

53.  King,  John  H 

54.  Flint,  Franklin  F 

55.  Brannaer,  John  M . .  . . 

56.  Kilburn,  Charles  L. . . 

57.  Wood,  William    H 

58.  Macomb,  John  N 

59.  King,  William  S 

60.  Howe,  Albion  P 

61.  Conrad,  Joseph 

62.  De  Russey,  Gustavus  . 

63.  Laidley,  Theodore  T.  S 

64.  Tower,  Z.  B 

65.  Thom,  George 

66.  Van  Voast,  James  .... 

67.  Pennypaker,  Galusha. , 

68.  Ekin,  James  A , 

69.  Hunt,  Henry  J , 

70.  Getty,  George  W , 

71.  Dent,  Frederick  F.    .. 

72.  Raynolds,  William  F. 

73.  Clarke,  Henry  F 

74.  Hammond,  John   F... 

75.  Bartlett,  William  H.  C, 


Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 
Colonel 


,375 
.375 
,375 
375 
,375 
,375 
,375 
375 
,375 
,375 
375 
.375 
375 
,375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 
375 


$360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 


RETIRED  OEFICERS  OF  THE   U.   S.  ARMY. 


589 


Name. 


Annual  pay 

and 
allowances. 


Pension  to 

Volunteers 

of  equal  rank. 


76.  Weir,  Robert  W 

77.  Kendrick,  Henry  L. . 

78.  Forsyth,  John 

79.  De  Janon,  Patrice  . . . 

80.  Wheeler,  James  B... 

81.  Head,  John  F 

82.  Andrews,  George  P. . 

83.  Clitz,  Henry  B 

84.  Campbell,  John 

1.  Chapman.  William  . . 

2.  Whiting,  Daniel  P. ,  . 

3.  Sitgreaves,  Lorenzo  . 

4.  Hill,  Bennett  H 

5.  Wallace,  George  W. . 

6.  Woodruff,  Dickinson 

7.  Gibson,  Augustus  A. 

8.  Maley,  Thomas   E... 

9.  Shea,  Thomas 

10.  Gile,  George  W 

11.  Avery,    Robert 

12.  Wessells,  Henry  W.  . 

13.  Hayman,  Samuel  B.  . 

14.  Duncan,  Thomas.... 

15.  Montgomery, Alexander 

16.  Bootes,  Levi  C 

17.  Wyse,  Francis     

18.  Stewart,  Joseph 

19.  Prince,  Henry 

20.  Potter,  James  B.  M 

21.  Myers,  William 

22.  Evans,  Andrew  W 

23.  Brotherton,  David  H  . . 

24.  Dallas,  Alexander  J. . . 

25.  Moore,   Orlando  H 

26.  Alexander,  Andrew  J.. 

27.  Layton,  Caleb  R   

28.  Dana,  James    I 

I.  Judd,  Henry  B 

2-  Austine,  William 


Colonel . 

Colonel . 

Colonel , 

Colonel 

Colonel o  .- 

Colonel 

Colonel , 

Colonel , 

Colonel , 

Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel 
Lieutenant-Colone^, 
Lieutenant-Colonel , 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant.  Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 
Lieutenant-Colonel . 

Major ,. 

Major 


13.375 
3,375 
3,150 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 
3,375 

3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 
3,000 

2,625 
2,625 


$360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 

360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 
360 

300 
300 


590 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Name. 


Anntial  pay 

Pension    to 

and 

VoluHieeis 

allo%va7tces. 

ofeqtial  rank 

$2,625 
2,625 

$300 
300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,437-50 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,437-50 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

2,625 

300 

3.  Edgar,  William  F 

4.  McArthur,  Joseph   H. 

5.  Whittlesey,  Joseph  H. 

6.  Caldwell,  James  N... 

7.  Prince,  William  E.  . .  . 

8.  Tracy,  Albert 

9.  Clark,  Joseph  C,  Jr. . 

10.  Lynde,  Isaac , 

11.  Earned,  Frank  H 

12.  Freedley,  Henry  W     . 

13.  Randall,  Burton 

14.  Hudson,  Edward  McK 

15.  Williams,  George  A.. 

16.  Fleming,  Hugh  B.... 

17.  Lane,  William    B 

18.  Lee,  Samuel  P 

19.  Bissell,  Lyman 

20.  Collins,  Joseph  B.... 

21.  Prime,  Frederick  E. . . 

22.  Morris,  Robert  M 

23.  Brua,  John    P 

24.  Burbank,  Jacob  E. . . . 

25.  McKibbin,  David    B. . 

26.  Enos,  Herbert  M 

27.  Seymour,  Freeman  .  .  . 

28.  Walker,  Robert  C 

29.  Dunn,  Thomas  S 

30.  Latimer,  Alfred  E. . . . 

31.  Robertson,  James  M. . 

32.  Nugent,  Robert 

33.  Ludington,    Elisha  H. 

34.  Potter,  Joseph  A 

35.  Hambright,   Henry  A. 

36.  Stanhope,  Philip  W. . . 

37.  Judd,  Edwin  D 

38.  Hawley,  William. .... 

39.  Belger,  James. ....... 

40.  Bankhead,  Henry  C. 

41.  Eaton,  Joseph   H 

42.  McLaughlin,  Nap.  B.. 

43.  McMillan,  James 


Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major 
Major, 
Major, 
Major 
Major, 
Major 
Major. 
Major, 
Major 
Major, 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major, 
Major, 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major, 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 


RETIRED  OFFICERS  OF  THE   U.   S.  ARMY. 


591 


Name. 


Annual  pay 
and 

allo7vances. 


Pension     to 

Vohtnteers 

of  equal  7-a7tk. 


44.  Clarke,  Robert  D. . . 

45.  Brooke,   Edmund  H 

46.  Ingersoll,  Edward.. 

47.  Vedder,  Nicholas... 

48.  Smith,  Thomas    C.  H 

49.  Bridgman,  Frank. . . 

50.  Tourtellote,  John    E 

51.  Gould,  William  P. . 

52.  Eckerson,  Theodore 


1.  Tidball,  Joseph   L.. 

2.  Symmes,  John   C... 

3.  Garland,  John  S. .  . . 

4.  Churchill,  Charles  C 

5.  Drake,  Alexander  E 

6.  Pease,  William  R. . 

7.  Walker,  Thomas  Vv'^ 

8.  Dickinson,  William 

9.  Bates,  Francis  H.. 

10.  King,  Benjamin... 

11.  Holmes,  Charles  .. 

12.  Hendershott,  Henry  B 

13.  Murry,  Alexander 

14.  Thompson,   A.  B. 

15.  Stivers,  Charles  B 

16.  Brand,  Thomas  T 

17.  Quirk,  Pa«l 

18.  Walcott,  William    H 

19.  Townsend,  Alfred 

20.  Kellogg,  Josiah  H 

21.  McGown,  George. 

22.  Bailey,  Thomas  C.  J 

23.  Lowe,  William  B.. 

24.  McNally,  Christ.  H 

25.  Powell,  James  .... 

26.  Morgan,  Henry   C. 

27.  Reeves,  Thomas  H 

28.  McDonald,  John,. . 

29.  Huxford,  William   P 

30.  Watson,   Malbone  F 

31.  Culbertson,  Howard 


Major. 
Major, 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 
Major. 

Capta: 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta; 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta: 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta 
Capta: 
Capta 
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625 
625 
625 
625 
205 
625 
625 
625 
625 


100 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
S90 
100 
890 
890 
890 
100 
890 
100 
100 


$300 
300 
300 
300 
300 
300 
300 
300 
300 

240 

240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 


592 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Name. 


Annual  pay 

and 
allowances. 


Pensions  to 

Volunteers 

of  equal  rank. 


32.  Noble,  Henry  B 

33.  Walker,  John  H 

34.  Badeau,  Adam 

35.  Dodge,  Theodore 

36.  Butler,  John  H 

37.  Sprague,  Willington  G. 

38.  Judd,  George  E 

39.  Norton,  Thomas  H. . . . 

40.  Sundberg,  William  R.. 

41.  Pyne,  Charles  M 

42.  Bates,  James  A 

43.  Greene,  Charles  T 

44.  Gardner,  Hezekiah 

45.  Crone,  Louis  E 

46.  Catlin,  Robert 

47.  Barnitz,  Albert 

48.  Gelray,  Joseph  W 

49.  White,  George  Q 

50.  Minor,  William  C 

■51.  Cleghorn,  John  F 

52.  Von  Schirach,  Frederick 

53.  Hoag,  John  M. 

54.  Kelliher,  John 

.55.  Tyler,  Richard  W. . . . .  . 

56.  Niles,  Alanson  E 

57.  Keller,  Jacob  W 

58.  Gaskill,  Edwin  C 

59.  Dawes,  William  J 

'60.  Bourne,  William  R . . . . 

61.  McLaughlin,  George  H. 

62.  Rives,  Wright 

63.  Hearn,  James  A 

64.  De  Gross,  Jacob  C. . . . 

65.  Conway,  Edwin  J .....  . 

66.  Merrell,  William  H.... 

67.  Hill,  George  D 

68.  AtwcU,  William  P. 

-69.  Johnson,  William  S. . .  . 

70.  Brown,  Andrew  M 

71.  Meyer,  Edward  S 

72.  Nelson,  William 


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n 
n 
n 
n 
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n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
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n 
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890 
890 
100 
890 
100 
890 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
950 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
890 
100 
100 
890 

I  GO 

755 
100 
890 
100 

S90 


$240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 

2iO 
240 
240 


RETIRED  OEFICERS  OF  THE  U.   S.  ARMV. 


593 


JVame. 


73.  Rittenhouse,  Benj.  F 

74.  Hascall,  Herbert  A. 

75.  Thompson,  William. 

76.  Sturgeon,  Shelden  . . 

77.  Schwenck,  Samuel  K 

78.  Gallupe,  George  S 

79.  Boehm,  Peter  M.. 

80.  Catlin,  Lynde. . . . 

81.  Kerin,  Joseph.... 

82.  Clarke,  Charles  E. 

83.  Reynolds,  Frank. . 

84.  Armstrong,  Samuel  F 

85.  Johnston,  John  L. 

86.  Lafferty,  John 

87.  Bristol,  Plenry  B  . 

88.  Parker,  Richard  C 

89.  Miller,  John 

90.  Stewart,  James.  .  .    . 

91.  Van  Wiele,  John  B.. 

92.  Thompkins,  James  S 

93.  McCleave,  William  . 

94.  Schreiner,   Herman. 

95.  Ford,  George  E 

96.  Merritt,  Thomas  E.. 

97.  McGinnis,  James  T. 

98.  McConnell,  William 

99.  Irwin^  David  A 

100.  Vanderslice,  Joseph  H 
loi.  Wells,  Elijah  R. . 

102.  Taylor,  Alfred  B 

103.  Fitzgerald,  Michael  J 

104.  Ward,  Edward  W 

105.  Krautinger,  Adolph  W 

106.  Bowen,  Edgar  C 

107.  King,  Charles.., 

108.  Hottsinpiller,  Chas.  W 

109.  Mallery,  Garrick...  . 
no.  Rendlebrock,  Joseph 
in.  Trimble,  Joel  G  . . .  . 

112.  Coster,  John  H 

113.  Shoemaker,  William  R 


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n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 


Annual  pay 

Pensions  to 

and 

Volunteers 

allowances. 

of  equal  rank. 

$1,890 

$240 

1,890 

240 

2,  ICO 

240 

IfftOO 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

i,8go 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

1.950 

240 

1,890 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

1,890 

240 

1,890 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

1,890 

240 

2,100 

240 

1,890 

240 

i,8qo 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

2,100 

240 

594 


THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Name. 


114.  Potter,   Reuben    M 

115.  Gilbreth,  Benj.  H. . 

116.  Ellsworth,  Ephraim 

117.  Why te,  Frederick.. 

118.  Biggs,  Herman.... 

119.  Falck,  William  ... . 

120.  Rollins,   James  H . 

121.  McConnell,  Charles  C 

122.  Goodloe,  Archibald  H 

123.  Lee,  D.  Mortimer 

124.  Adams,  Williams. 

125.  Armes,  George  A 

126.  Pollock,  Robert  . . 

127.  White,  John  C... 

128.  Walker,  John  P.. 

129.  Faulk,  Wm.  L. . . . 

130.  Strang,   Edward  J 

131.  Tajrlor,  Rodney  M 

132.  Clift,  Emory  W. . 

133.  McGilway,  John. . 

134.  Steelhammer,  Chas 

135.  Whipple,  Stephen  G 

136.  Lee,  John 

137.  McArthur,  Malcolm 

138.  Monahan,  Dean  ... 

139.  Morse,  Chas.   E. . . 

140.  Gunther,  Sebastian 

141.  Nixon,  John   B 

142.  Kendall,  Frederick 

143.  Spencer,  James  H. 

144.  Abbott,  Lemuel  A. 

145.  Gibson,  Edwin  O 

146.  Hunt,  Thos.   B.. 

147.  Ewing,  Evarts  S. 

148.  Hawkins,  Chas. . 

149.  Azpell,  Thos.   F. 
1150.  Shorkly,  George. 

151.  Lyndc,  Fred'k  M 

152.  Nave,  Andrew  H 

153.  Kingsbury,  Wm.   E 

154.  Benson,  Henry  M. 


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n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
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n 
n 
n 
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Annual  pay 

and 
allowances. 


100 
100 
100 
100 
650 
890 
100 
8go 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
890 
100 
950 
100 
890 
890 
890 
890 
100 
100 
890 
100 
890 
100 
890 
890 
890 
100 
890 
950 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 
100 
890 
890 


Pensions  to 

Volunteers 

of  equal  rank. 


240 
240 
240 
240 
140 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
140 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 


RETIRED  OFFICERS  OF  THE  U.   S.  ARMY, 


595 


Annual  pay 

Pensions    to 

Name. 

Rank^ 

and 

Volunteers 

allowances. 

of  equal  rank. 

155.  Martin,  Wm.  P 

Captain ..... ..0 ... . 

$2,100 

I240 

I.  Brownell,  Francis  E.. 

First  Lieutenant . . . ,  „ . . . 

1,575 

204 

2,  Williams,  George 

First  Lieutenant ,. . 

1,575 

204 

3.  Fitch,  Wm.  G.., 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

4.  Hutchinson,  Merrill  N. 

First  Lieutenant  „ , 

1,575 

204 

5.  Douglass,  Wm.  O.... 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

6.  Pennock,  Wm.  T 

First  Lieutenant  ....   „ . . 

1,680 

204 

7.  Davis,  Robert 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

8.  Perkins,  Rollins 

First  Lieutenant 

1,462.50 

204 

9.  Coffman,  Jos.  C 

First  Lieutenant  . . .  = . . « . 

1,575 

204 

10.  Campbell,  Geo.  I 

First  Lieutenant 

1,680 

204 

II.  Leavey,  Jas.  T 

First  Lieutenant  . .  0 . . . . , 

1,680 

204 

12,  Halleck,  Walter  F 

First  Lieutenant  .0 

1,575 

204 

13.  Converse,  Oscar  I. . . . 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

14.  Kenhicutt,  Ransom. . . 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

15.  Shurly,  Edmund  R.  P. 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

16.  Williams,  Ephraim 

First  Lieutenant  ...  ..... 

1,575 

204 

17.  Knox,  Edward  B 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

18.  Curtis,  Chas.  A 

First  Lieutenant  ........ 

1,575 

204 

19.  Dubois,  Richard  C 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

20.  Mulikin,  Jas.  R 

First  Lieutenant .  „ 

1,575 

204 

21.  Leonard,  John 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

22.  Hogarty,  Michael  J. . . 

First  Lieutenant  . .  0 .   ... 

1,575 

204 

23,  Bowker,  Hugh  D. , . . . 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

24.  Rice,  Frank  R .. 

First  Lieutenant  ........ 

1,575 

204 

25.  Cortelyoh,  David  H.. 

First  Lieutenant , 

1,680 

204 

26.  Williams,  Henry  R... 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

27.  Hays,  Jos.  H 

First  Lieutenant 

1,560 
1,462,50 

204 
204 

28.  Smith,  Jos.  M 

First  Lieutenant 

2g.  Crawford,  Alex.  McL. 

First  Lieutenant 

1,575 

204 

30.  Walter,  Isaac  N 

First  Lieutenant  ...00... 

1,680 

204 

31.  Keyes,  Chas.  W 

First  Lieutenant  ........ 

1,462 

204 

32.  Kuhn,  Henry  H 

First  Lieutenant 0 . . 

1,575 

204 

33.  Hoppy,  Edward 

First  Lieutenant  . .  0 . . « .  - 

1,575 

204 

34.  Mellen,  Henry  B 

First  Lieutenant 

1,680 

204 

•^S.  Rice,  Tas.  H 

First  Lieutenant „ 

1,575 
1,575 
1,350 

204 
204 
204 

36.  Tyler,  John 

First  Lieutenant  . . . . .  0 . . 

37.  Cottel,  Hampden  S.,. 

First  Lieutenant  , ,...». . 

38.  Carter,  Robert  G 

First  Lieutenant .... 

1,680 

204 

39,  Olmstead,  Freeman  E, 

First  Lieutenant  . . ., 

1,575 

204 

596 


THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 


Names. 


Annual  pay 

and 
allozvances. 


Pensions  to 

Volunteers 

of  eqtial  rank. 


40.  Jones,  Henry  R 

41.  Ezekiel,  David  I . . . . . 

42.  Marcotte,  Henry 

43.  Abbie,  George  E  . . . . 

44.  Gross,  Frank  P 

45.  Walton,  John  M 

46.  Allsworth,  Edward. . . 

47.  Budd,  George  W  . . . . 

48.  Dunton,  Warren  R  .  . 

49.  Yeckley,  Jonathan  A. 

50.  Duff,  George 

51.  Jennings,  Gilbert  S. . 

52.  Rutherford,  Robert  G 

53.  Craycroft,  William  T . 

54.  Braden,  Charles 

55.  Boswell,  Benjamin  D 

56.  Miller,  William  H .  . . 

57.  Whitman,  Royal  E..  . 

58.  Nelson,  William  H  .  . 
5g.  Cresson,  Charles  C    . 

60.  Stephenson,  William. 

61.  Abbott,  Asa  T 

62.  Von  Lucttwitz,  A.  H. 

63.  Orelman,  Louis  H. . . 

64.  Lewis,  Granville 

65.  Bamister,  John 

66.  Bronson,  Nelson  ... 

67.  Trout,  John  F 

68.  Griffith,  David  A 

69.  Briggs,  Thomas  B. . . 

70.  Love,  George  M 

71.  Clark,  Edwin  R 

72.  Barnard,  Phineas  P. . 

73.  O'Brien,  Michael. . .  . 

74.  Curry,  James 

1.  McQuiston,  Henry... 

2.  Davison,  James 

3.  Moore,  Michael 

4.  Hogarty,  William  P. . 

5.  Madden,  Frank 


Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

L  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

L  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

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t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

t  Lieut 

Firs 

t  Lieut( 

Firs 

Lieut< 

Firs 

Lieute 

Firs 

Lieut( 

Firs 

Lieutt 

First 

Lieut< 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

tenant 

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,575 
■  575 
.575 
,575 
,680 
,560 

,575 
,680 

,575 
,575 
,575 
,575 
,575 
,575 
,680 

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,680 

,575 
,680 
,680 

,575 
,560 
,680 
,575 
,575 
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575 
,575 
,575 
,575 

462 
,680 
,462 

575 


Second  Lieutenant 
Second  Lieutenant 
Second  Lieutenant 
Second  Lieutenant 
Second  Lieutenant 


1,575 
1,470 

1,479 
1,470 

1,470 


IP204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 
204 

180 
180 
180 
180 
180 


RETIRED  OFEICERS  OF  THE   U.   S.  ARMY. 


59; 


Names. 

Rank. 

Annual  pay 

and 
allowances. 

Pensions  to 

Volunteers 

ofeqitalrank. 

6.  Mangan,  Michael 

7.  Walker,  Samuel 

8.  Bayne,  Andrew  C 

9.  Magnitzky,  Gustave  . .  . 

10.  Reed,  Thomas  B 

11.  Williams,  William  N. . . 

12.  Benjamin,  Edward  A  .  . 

I.  Gilmore,  Alexander. . .  . 

Second  Lieutenant 

Second  Lieutenant 

Second  Lieutenant 

Second  Lieutenant 

Second  Lieutenant 

Second  Lieutenant 

Second  Lieutenant 

Chaplain 

$1,470 
1,470 
1,470 
1,470 
1,470 
1,470 
1,260 

1,755 
1,890 

1,755 
1,575 
1,755 
1,890 
1,890 
1,890 
1,890 

1,755 
1,620 
1,890 
1,485 

$180 
180 
180 
180 
180 
180 
180 

240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 
240 

2.  Van  Wyck,  George  P  . . 

3.  Wright,  Alpha 

Chaplain 

Chaplain 

4.  Collins,  Gamaliel. . , .  . . 

Chaplain 

5.   Kelley,  Moses  J 

-6.  Chase,  Dudley 

7.  White,  David. 

8.  Reynolds,  Charles ..... 

9.  Woart,  John  . .  „ 

10.  Porter,  Jeremiah 

11.  Blake,  Charles  M 

Chaplain 

Chaplain 

Chaplain 

Chaplain 

Chaplain 

Chaplain  . , <,.... 

Chaplain , . , . 

12,  Van  Horn,  Thomas  B. . 

13,  Baldridge,  Benjamin  L. 

Chaplain  . . . , „ . 

Chaplain 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

AN    APPEAL    MADE    TO    THE    PEOPLE THE    REMODELING    OF 

OUR  PRESENT  MILITARY  SYSTEM  A  NATIONAL  NECES- 
SITY  A    GLANCE     AT     THE     SCHOOLS     AND     SYSTEMS    OF 

FRANCE,      ENGLAND,     AND      PRUSSIA THREE      CARDINAL 

PRINCIPLES  UPON  WHICH  THE  AMERICAN  MILITARY 
SYSTEM  SHOULD  BE  BASED A  VAST  ARMY  OF  CITIZEN- 
SOLDIERS THE    SPECIAL    EDUCATION    OF  OFFICERS    WITH 

THE  INBORN  MILITARY  SPIRIT CONCLUDING  COM- 
MENTS. 

SHOULD  the  perusal  of  the  foregoing  pages  result 
in  drawing  the  attention  of  the  American  people, 
first,  to  the  fact  of  the  deficiency  of  our  present  military 
system,  together  with  its  possible  dangers,  and,  second, 
to  the  dependence  of  the  Republic  upon  its  volunteer 
soldiery,  together  with  the  great  injustice  to  which  that 
all-important  element  of  our  liberties  has  been  and  still  is 
subjected,  the  author  will  feel  amply  repaid  for  the  labor 
which  the  preparation  of  the  present  volume  has  cost  him. 
A  volunteer  soldier  himself,  he  has  waited  in  the  vain 
hope  that  some  other  pen  more  able  than  his  own  would 
be  applied  to  the  work  herein  undertaken.  Having  thus 
broken  the  ground  of  a  great  subject,  he  entertains  the 
hope  that  others  may  enter  a  field  which  has  long  invited 

laborers. 

598 


DANGERS  OF  INJUSTICE   TO   VOLUNTEERS.  599 

Having  treated  the  subject  upon  the  plan  developed 
through  the  preceding  pages,  the  reader  may  naturally 
ask  that  the  author  elaborate  and  present  a  plan  of  organ- 
ization which  may  at  one  and  the  same  time  abolish  the 
evils  of  the  present  system,  and  likewise  do  justice  to  the 
volunteer  soldiery  in  whose  behalf  the  volume  has  been 
prepared.  But  the  purpose  of  the  author  has  been  to 
stop  short  of  the  point  indicated,  for  two  principal  reasons 
which  appear  to  him  to  be  sufficiently  cogent  to  justify 
him  in  following  the  plan  determined  upon.  The  first  of 
these  reasons  is  that  the  subject  is  one  which  must  be 
preceded  by  long  discussion,  general  conviction,  and 
popular  demand,  before  legislation  can  be  framed  and  suc- 
cessfully enacted  to  meet  it.  The  second  of  them  is  that 
the  author  has  no  desire  to  weaken  whatever  force  his 
preceding  arguments  and  his  general  showing  of  the  sub- 
ject may  possess  by  subjecting  himself  to  the  charge  that 
he  is  the  victim  either  of  a  hallucination  of  wrong  where 
no  real  wrong  exists,  or  of  a  theory  with  which  he  has 
rushed  into  print  for  the  purpose  of  astonishing  his 
countrymen  by  a  display  of  zeal  and  sagacity. 

But  while  refraining  from  the  task  of  detailing  a  system 
to  meet  the  requirements,  of  our  great  and  progressive 
nation,  it  certainly  cannot  be  objected  to  should  the 
author  state  some  general  principles  which  he  believes 
must  underlie  any  intelligent,  just,  and  feasible  effort 
toward  the  accomplishment  of  the  desired  end. 

But,  first  of  all,  let  there  be  no  delay  whatever  upon 
the  part  of  the  people  to  demand  of  our  legislators  that 


600  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

the  official  oppression  of  the  volunteer  soldiery  shall 
cease  at  once,  and  that  the  unwise  and  unjust  discrimina- 
tion against  them  in  the  matter  of  pecuniary  emolument 
as  well  as  in  all  other  respects  be  removed.  The  abuse  is 
so  deeply  seated  and  is  sustained  by  such  wide-spread  in- 
fluence that  action  belongs  to  the  people  at  large ;  and  the 
author  thus  appeals  to  them  in  behalf  of  his  fellow- 
soldiers,  in  the  name  of  justice,  and  in  the  higher  in- 
terests of  the  Republic  itself. 

In  the  fabrication  of  a  military  system  for  the  United 
States  which  shall  be  wholly  adapted  to  the  necessities  of 
our  peculiar  form  of  government,  but  little  aid  can  be 
borrowed  from  the  nations  of  Europe.  One  great  mis- 
take of  many  of  our  public  men  has  lain  in  the  direction 
of  endeavoring  to  follow  the  precedents  of  monarchical 
governments  in  establishing  the  institutions  of  a  republic. 
As  has  heretofore  been  stated  in  the  present  volume,  the 
original  idea  of  creating  a  military  school  in  the  United 
States  was  borrowed  from  the  example  of  France,  which 
nation,  under  Napoleon,  at  that  time  was  exciting  the 
military  enthusiasm  of  all  the  world. 

Schools  for  the  purpose  spoken  of  had  been  in  opera- 
tion in  France  from  the  time  of  Louis  XV.  The  first  of 
these  was  founded  by  that  monarch  at  Vincennes  about  the 
year  1761.  It  soon  had  some  five  hundred  pupils,  all  of 
whom  were  sons  of  noblemen.  At  a  later  period  it  was  re- 
moved to  the  Champ  de  Mars,  Paris,  and  it  remains  the 
principal  military  school  of  that  country.  The  school  at 
St.  Cyr,    near  Versailles,   was   established   by  the   great 


MILITARY  SCHOOLS  OF  EUROPE.  6oi 

Napoleon  himself  at  Fontainebleau  in  the  year  1802,  but 
not  long  afterward  it  was  removed  to  St.  Cyr.  It  has 
some  three  hundred  pupils  whose  ages  range  between 
eighteen  and  twenty  years.  After  a  course  of  two  years 
at  St.  Cyr,  some  of  these  pupils  go  to  the  Ecole  d' Etat 
Majciir;  others  are  sent  to  the  cavalry  school  at  Laumur, 
and  still  others  to  the  army,  with  the  grade  of  sub- 
lieutenant of  infantry.  In  1764  there  was  also  a  school 
at  La  Fleche  founded  by  Louis  XV.  Even  before  the 
"Seven  Years'  War"  between  France  and  England,  there 
was  an  artillery  school  in  every  town  of  France  where  a 
regiment  of  artillery  was  stationed. 

The  feature  connected  with  the  present  French  sys- 
tem, which  is  so  far  in  advance  of  our  own,  is  that  the 
military  education  by  the  state  is  subject  to  universal 
competition,  not  being,  as  under  our  own  law,  vested  in 
public  men  to  be  used  as  a  constituent  of  political  patron- 
age. In  the  army  two-thirds  of  the  line  commissions  and 
one-third  of  those  for  the  scientific  corps  are  given  to 
non-commissioned  officers.  The  remaining  commissions 
in  the  line  and  scientific  corps,  and  all  appointments  to 
the  staff,  are  conferred  by  competition  after  a  thorough 
course  of  education.  After  an  open  competition,  candi- 
dates for  the  army  are  sent,  according  to  the  degree  of 
merit  exhibited,  either  to  the  infantry  school  at  St.  Cyr 
or  to  the  widely-celebrated  Polytechnique.  At  both  of 
these  institutions  the  pupils  have  a  right  to  the  support 
of  the  state. 

The   English   law  is  similar  as  to   competition,      All 


602  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

candidates  for  admission  to  the  Royal  Artillery  or  to  the 
Royal  Engineers  must  go  through  the  Military  Academy 
at  Woolwich.  Entrance  to  this  institution  is  obtained  by 
competitive  examination.  This  feature  is  radically  differ- 
ent from  our  own.  Instead  of  being  supported  by  the 
state,  as  with  us,  the  pupil  must  pay  a  large  sum  an- 
nually during  the  whole  time  that  he  remains  at  the 
institution.  This  payment  is  sufficiently  large  to  bar  out 
any  pupil  of  small  means.  It  amounts  to  about  ;^i20  for 
the  son  of  a  civilian,  though  the  son  of  a  military  or  naval 
officer  is  entered  at  a  less  rate.  The  curriculum  of 
studies  embraces  the  general  branches  of  a  liberal  educa- 
tion, and  includes  the  higher  mathematics,  fortification, 
gunnery,  etc.  When  the  course  is  completed  the  cadets 
may  compete  for  vacancies  in  the  engineer  and  artillery 
corps.  Those  who  best  pass  the  examination  have  the 
choice  of  the  former,  which  is,  as  with  us,  the 
favorite  corps.  Those  who  obtain  commissions  in  the 
engineer  corps  go  to  Chatham  to  complete  their  course, 
being  under  pay,  while  the  artillery  cadets  join  the  artil- 
lery regiments  at  once  with  the  commission  of  lieutenant. 
The  cost  of  the  school  to  the  government  is  almost 
nothing.  There  is  also  a  higher  school  at  Sandhurst, 
where  theoretical  knowledge  of  the  science  of  war  is  im- 
parted.    A  staff  college  was  also  established  in  1858. 

The  Prussian  system  is  much  more  elaborate  than 
either  of  the  preceding,  and  in  the  feature  of  universality 
of  military  tuition  more  nearly  represents  the  necessities 
of  our  ov.'o  country,  though  the  enforced  service  of  every 


ESSENTIALS  OF  A  MILITARY  SYSTEM.  603 

citizen  is  too  closely  allied  with  the  methods  of  monarchy 
to  find  any  imitation  in  a  republican  government. 

In  devising  a  system  for  the  United  States  three 
cardinal  considerations  must  underlie  the  whole  fabric. 
First,  the  system  of  military  education  must  be  entirely 
divorced  from  politics ;  second,  the  entrance  to  the  army, 
and,  it  may  be  added,  to  the  navy  as  well,  must  be  free  to 
all,  and  actual  merit  and  fitness  must  be  constituted  the 
test  of  official  place  and  rank  in  either  branch  of  our 
national  service,  so  that  all  vestige  of  class-favoritism  and 
class-distinction  in  America  may  be  swept  away  and  the 
positions  of  honor  and  trust  in  the  army  and  navy  be 
open  to  the  general  competition,  through  merit,  of  our 
citizens,  as  are  all  positions  of  our  Government,  from  that 
-of  President  to  the  lowest  on  the  list ;  and  third,  military 
knowledge  must  be  diffused  among  the  general  people  to 
the  double  end  that  they  may  be  better  prepared  for  mili- 
tary duties  upon  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  with  any 
adversary,  and  that  the  dangers  arising  from  reposing 
military  education  solely  in  a  small  class  of  individuals 
may  be  forever  averted. 

These  fundamental  conditions  of  a  military  system 
for  the  United  States  should  not  be  difficult  of  accom- 
plishment. Observing  his  purpose  to  refrain  from  the 
presentation  of  a  plan  in  detail,  for  the  reasons  already 
stated,  the  author  may,  nevertheless,  be  permitted  to 
offer  a  few  general  views  upon  the  subject,  which  must  be 
considered  as  mere  suggestions  by  his  fellow-citizens. 

In  urging  the  removal   of  cadet  appointments   from 


6o4  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

the  circle  of  politics,  the  writer  hopes  that  the  discussion 
of  this  branch  of  the  subject  already  indulged  in  may  be 
sufficient  to  win  the  acquiescence  of  every  citizen  of  the 
Republic.  The  proper  method,  and  the  only  one  pro- 
motive of  the  selection  of  candidates  for  the  army  and 
navy  upon  the  basis  of  a  special  aptitude  for  those  call- 
ings, which  qualification  has  been  so  largely  dwelt  upon 
in  this  volume,  is  that  of  general  competitive  examina- 
tion by  a  qualified  and  impartial  national  board.  This 
suggestion  is  to  be  supplemented  by  another,  presently  to 
be  mentioned,  which  will  cover  the  idea  to  give  to  every 
American  youth  the  opportunity  of  acquiring,  at  the 
State  and  national  expense,  the  knowledge  pertaining  to 
the  rudimentary  branches  of  military  education,  which 
knowledge,  of  necessity,  must  be  at  the  base  of  such  a 
competitive  examination  as  is  contemplated  by  the 
author. 

Merely  for  the  purpose  of  demonstrating  the  entire 
feasibility  of  erecting  a  military  system  which,  while 
being  in  harmony  with  the  principles  and  practices  of  a 
pure  republican  government,  would  be  instrumental  in 
developing  to  the  fullest  extent  the  enormous  military 
strength  of  the  United  States,  thus  making  of  the  nation 
what  of  right  it  is  entitled  to  become,  and  what  of  neces- 
sity it  should  quickly  be  made  —  one  of  the  first  war 
powers  of  the  world  —  let  us  draw,  with  no  pretense  to 
a  perfection  which  only  comes  through  time  and  sad 
experience,  the  rough  outlines  of  a  comprehensive  mili- 
tary establishment. 


OUTLINE  OF  A  MILITARY  SYSTEM.  605 

To  begin,  then,  with  the  draft  of  the  plan,  though  the 
actual  measure  proposed  would  not  stand  first  in  order 
for  obvious  reasons,  the  present  functions  of  the  acade- 
mies at  West  Point  and  Annapolis,  as  the  first  and  only 
sources  of  military  and  naval  education,  should  cease, 
and  those  institutions  be  reserved  for  the  functions  pres- 
ently to  be  mentioned.  Let  the  General  Government 
obligate  itself  to  establish  and  maintain,  at  its  own. 
expense,  a  military  department  in  every  State  university, 
upon  a  scale  proportionate  to  the  population  of  each  par- 
ticular State.  Let  this  department  be  accessible  to  every 
youth  of  the  State  of  a  certain  age  who  desires  to  enter 
it.  Let  the  branches  there  to  be  taught,  by  competent 
professors,  embrace  the  rudiments  of  a  military  educa- 
tion, to  include  a  thorough  gymnastic  training,  the  ele- 
mentary and  higher  mathematics,  drawing,  natural  and 
experimental  philosophy,  military  and  civil  engineering, 
ancient  and  modern  history,  infantry  tactics,  the  use  of 
the  sword,  as  much  of  a  knowledge  of  ordnance  and  of 
gunnery  as  it  is  practicable  to  teach  in  such  an  institution^ 
etc.,  etc. 

After  the  completion  of  a  specific  course  let  there  be 
held,  by  a  national  board  expressly  constituted  for  this  pur- 
pose, a  competitive  examination  for  the  grade  of  military 
and  naval  cadet  upon  which  to  enter  the  finishing  schools 
at  West  Point  and  Annapolis  —  the  number  of  admis- 
sions to  be  regulated  by  the  necessities  of  the  service,  as, 
from  time  to  time,  they  may  require.  At  these  two 
higher  schools  let  the  completing  studies  be  pursued.     At 


6o6  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

West  Point,  In  addition  to  a  review  of  previous  branches, 
there  should  be  taught,  as  there  now  is,  cavalry  and 
infantry  tactics,  practical  military  engineering,  ordnance 
and  gunnery,  the  French  and  Spanish  languages,  to 
which  should  also  be  added  the  German  language, 
the  elements  of  law,  of  ethics,  etc.  At  Annapolis  such 
branches  of  knowledge  as  are  technical  to  the  naval  pro- 
fession should  be  added  to  the  studies  previously  pur- 
sued, including  the  practical  training  at  sea,  etc.,  etc. 
Upon  the  completion  of  the  whole  course  at  either  insti- 
tution, and  the  passing  of  the  prescribed  final  examina- 
tion, the  cadet  to  be  admitted,  as  now,  to  the  selected 
branch  of  the  public  service,  with  its  established  grade 
and  pay. 

In  addition  to  this  portion  of  the  general  scheme  the 
several  States  should  remodel  their  public  schools  so  as  to 
include,  as  a  part  of  the  education  given  by  them,  the 
daily  practice  of  gymnastics  and  the  regular  drill  of  the 
infantry  soldier,  under  competent  teachers.  By  wise 
action  in  this  direction,  and  with  but  little  extra  expense, 
every  youth  of  the  country  could  be  instructed  in  the  ele- 
mentary training  of  the  soldier.  Further  than  this,  by 
more  attention  to  general  hygiene  and  the  physical  devel- 
opment of  the  pupil,  through  athletic  exercise,  the  body 
would  expand  in  power  with  the  mind  of  the  boy,  and,  as 
a  result,  while  we  should  rear  intellectual  men,  we  should 
also  rear  a  nation  of  strong,  healthy,  powerful  citizens. 
The  world  progresses  undoubtedly.  It  does  move,  as 
Galileo  said,  and  in  more  directions  than  one,  but  in  the 


NECESSITY  OF  STA  TE  MIL/TAR  V  LEG/SLA  TION.  607 

matter  now  being  considered  we  could  well  go  back  two 
thousand  five  hundred  years  and  adopt  the  manual  train- 
ing, the  physical  development  system  of  the  iron  men  of 
ancient  Greece,  who  ruled  their  puny  contemporaries  by 
virtue  of  strong  arms  and  strong  bodies,  and  the  fire  of 
whose  intellectual  power  has  shone  resplendently  through 
all  the  growing  centuries.  In  the  direction  of  reform  as 
now  indicated,  there  is  an  immense  field  for  the  American 
statesmen  of  today.  The  author  knows  no  more  certain 
road  to  fame  in  the  annals  of  history  than  successful  work 
in  the  channel  now  pointed  out. 

In  addition  to  the  action  by  States  in  the  matter  of 
physical  and  military  training,  as  just  dwelt  upon,  each 
State  should  extend  and  improve  its  militia  system,  and 
encourage  young  men,  by  favoring  legislation,  to  become 
attached  to  the  militia  service. 

Without  indulging  in  more  extended  remarks,  the 
author  may  point  to  the  advantage  of  a  system  founded, 
in  some  degree,  within  the  lines  above  marked  out.  The 
result  of  placing  it  within  the  power  of  every  youth  to 
obtain  the  elements  of  a  military  or  naval  education,  with 
which  to  offer  himself  as  a  candidate  for  permanent  ser- 
vice in  the  army  or  navy  of  his  country,  would  infallibly 
be  to  correct  the  evils  of  our  present  system,  first,  by 
removing  the  appointments  from  politics,  and  second,  by 
bringing  to  the  front  the  youth  who,  in  seeking  of  their 
own  free  will  the  military  or  naval  career,  would  thus  to  a 
very  large  degree  indicate  the  possession  of  that  inherent 
fitness    or   aptitude  in  a  particular  direction   which  has 


6o8  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

been  so  lengthily  discussed  in  the  present  pages.  Other 
advantages  to  be  secured  from  such  a  system  must  be 
very  obvious.  One  of  the  most  important  of  these  would 
be  to  diffuse  a  military  knowledge  throughout  the  masses  of 
the  people,  to  make  of  every  youth  an  inchoate  and  avail- 
able soldier,  and  thus  to  remove  the  evil  of  reposing  the 
whole  military  knowledge,  and  with  it  the  military  re- 
sources of  the  nation,  to  the  keeping  of  a  comparatively 
small  number  of  men,  who,  believing  themselves  to  hold 
the  destiny  of  the  country  within  their  charge,  must  be 
disposed  to  arrogate  to  themselves  the  attributes  of  a 
select  society.  The  existence  of  this  feature  is  wholly 
inconsistent  with  the  ideas  of  republican  government. 

Two  leading  objections  to  a  system  as  above  marked 
out  may  be  brought  to  bear  against  it.  The  first  of 
these  may  allege  the  difficulty  of  harmonizing  the  attri- 
butes of  the  National  Government  with  those  of  the  State 
governments  in  order  that  the  prerogatives  of  each 
may  remain  unimpaired.  To  this  it  may  be  answered 
that  while  the  National  and  State  governments  are 
distinct  in  existence  and  in  functions,  the  people  of  the 
United  States  are  the  same  wherever  resident,  and  that, 
when  once  they  are  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  any 
particular  national  measure,  they  are  not  very  slow  in 
bringing  fastidious  State  rulers  into  accord  with  general 
sentiment.  But,  as  the  author  is  fully  aware  that  consid- 
eration and  discussion  of  a  national  measure,  with  a  view 
to  final  harmony  of  all  classes,  involve  a  lapse  of  time 
more  or  less  considerable,  he  has,  at  the  beorinnino-  of  the 


EXPENSE  OF  A  MILITARY  SYSTEM.  609 

present  chapter,  presented  this  as  one  of  the  reasons  for 
hesitancy  to  offer  at  the  present  moment  a  definite  plan 
of  mihtary  estabHshment. 

The  second  of  these  objections  might  allege  the 
increased  expense  which  would  be  entailed  upon  the 
General  Government.  To  this  it  can  be  replied  that 
this  is  one  of  those  measures  of  governmental  policy  in 
the  establishment  of  which  any  small  economy  is  apt 
to  be  attended  with  disastrous  results  to  the  general 
welfare.  As  the  nation  of  fifty  million  inhabitants  cannot 
be  run  upon  the  scale  of  the  young  Government  embrac- 
ing only  three  millions,  neither  can  the  defensive  estab- 
lishments of  the  former  be  bound  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  latter.  But  further  than  this,  it  may  be  suc- 
cessfully maintained  that  the  highest  economy  exists  in 
the  greater  outlay,  which  operates  to  prevent  war  entirely 
or  to  reduce  it  to  the  minimum  of  time  and  of  expendi- 
ture which  the  prosecution  of  war  certainly  entails. 

If,  however,  the  question  of  outlay  be  examined  a 
little  more  critically,  the  location  of  the  actual  economies 
will  be  found  to  be  a  subject  open  to  considerable  discus- 
sion. In  addition  to  the  objections  herein  alleged  against 
our  military  and  naval  systems,  a  perusal  of  the  expenses 
of  the  academies,  as  given  in  the  previous  pages,  will 
amply  demonstrate  the  great  wastefulness  of  the  systems 
spoken  of.  From  the  year  1802  to  the  year  1876  —  the 
author  has  no  record  since  the  latter  date  —  there  were 
graduated  from  West  Point  only  2,613  cadets,  which 
number,  as  shown  by  the  record,  is  less  than  one-half  of 


6lO  THE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER   OF  AMERICA. 

those  who  entered  the  institution  during  the  period  men- 
tioned. In  computing  the  cost  to  the  Government  of 
each  graduate,  from  his  entry  into  the  institution  to  his 
admission  to  the  army,  it  would  not  be  fair,  of  course,  to 
take  the  total  of  appropriations  and  pro-rate  it  upon  each 
graduate,  because  there  are  embraced  within  the  appro- 
priations amounts  expended  for  buildings,  improvements, 
apparatus,  books,  etc.,  etc.,  which  remain  for  the  benefit 
of  future  pupilso  But  the  reader  who  has  any  particular 
interest  in  the  inquiry  will  find  it  possible  to  make  some 
curious  as  well  as  instructive  deductions  relative  to  both 
academies  from  the  tables  of  expense  to  be  found  in 
detail  in  the  volumes  of  Revised  Statutes.  And  it  is 
further  to  be  remarked  that  under  the  present  system, 
whereby  pupils  are  sent  to  be  educated  into  soldiers  and 
sailors  with  no  assuring  probability  that  they  have  any 
fitness  for  those  professions,  this  proportion  of  rejected 
students,  whose  education  costs  the  Government  so  large 
a  sum,  must  continue  to  be  at  least  as  great  in  the  future 
as  in  the  past,  so  that  for  every  soldier  or  sailor  actually 
made  the  Government  must  pay  the  cost  of  educating 
two.  Such  a  system  is  wasteful  and  extravagant  upon  its 
very  face. 

A  new  difificulty — one  legitimate  to  such  a  system, 
and  which  might  have  easily  been  foreseen,  has  of  late 
presented  itself  in  connection  with  the  academies.  From 
the  lack  of  any  regulation  covering  the  question  of  supply 
and  demand,  both  institutions  have  been  overcrowded 
with  students  for  some  time  past     The  naval  school  was 


MORE  GRADUATES  THAN  COMMISSIONS.  6ll 

the  first  to  feel  the  difficulty  attending  this  influx  of 
young  graduates  into  a  service  already  full,  and,  instead 
of  meeting  the  question  in  a  rational  manner  and  upon  a 
statistical  basis,  a  thorough  Procrustean  operation  was 
resorted  to,  whereby  the  nether  extremities  of  the  unduly 
elongated  naval  infant  were  cut  off,  to  correspond  with 
the  length  of  the  downy  bed  of  the  American  navy. 
Pupils  were  admitted  upon  the  old  basis,  but  a  law  was 
passed  providing  that  only  the  highest  ten  upon  the 
final  examination  should  receive  commissions,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  graduates  should  receive  one  thousand 
dollars  in  money,  and  with  their  educations  be  told  to  go 
their  way.  During  the  present  year,  the  same  difficulty 
presented  itself  with  the  school  at  West  Point.  There 
were  more  graduates  than  commissions. 

Under  such  a  state  of  affairs,  what  folly  it  seems 
to  endeavor  to  patch  a  rent  in  the  official  military  and 
naval  uniforms  which  is  so  hopelessly  large  and  so  pain- 
fully visible.  Under  the  make-shift  provision  just  spoken 
of,  what  would  the  American  people  have  suffered 
by  the  loss  to  the  army  of  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  who  only 
stood  twenty-first  in  his  class?  If  the  author,  disagreeing 
with  the  fallacy  that  scholastic  education  alone  makes  the 
soldier,  did  not  believe  that  General  Grant  possessed  the 
inherent  attributes  of  a  great  military  genius,  which  would 
have  found  certain  vent  if  he  had  never  seen  West  Point, 
he  would  be  disposed  to  tremble  for  the  future  of  the 
country,  lest  some  military  type  of  the  "mute,  inglorious 
Milton"    might  suffer  untimely   extinguishment  through 


6l2  THE  VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

failure  to  reach  a  standard  of  class-merit  largely  based 
upon  punctilios  of  decorum.  The  measure  of  legislation 
above  referred  to,  as  the  author  well  knows,  received  the 
sanction  of  many  legislators,  because  it  was  felt  that  the 
time  had  not  come  for  the  sweeping  change  which  intelli- 
gent law-makers  have  for  some  time  realized  must  be 
made  in  the  whole  system  of  military  and  naval  educa- 
tion. But  the  time  of  open  discussion,  at  least,  seems  to 
have  arrived,  and  the  author  has  ventured  to  begin  it  in 
the  present  pages. 

The  simple  plan  of  a  more  comprehensive  system 
which  has  been  presented  in  mere  skeleton  form,  and 
lacking  all  of  the  beautiful  details  of  a  completed  organ- 
ism, is  contemplated  to  embrace  within  it  the  present 
naval  school,  placed  upon  the  higher  plane  indicated  in 
the  preceding  pages.  Upon  a  proper  basis  the  author 
believes  in  the  efficacy  of  naval  education,  though  all 
must  admit  that  the  system  which  produced  the  naval 
heroes  of  1812  and  of  1861  has  not  been  excelled  as  yet 
by  the  national  establishment  at  Annapolis.  Not  only  is 
separate  naval  education  a  creation  of  modern  progress, 
but  the  separation  of  the  two  branches  of  the  military 
service  is  an  outgrowth  of  the  same  progress.  The  fol- 
lowing quotation  from  Macaulay's  History  of  England 
illustrates  this  fact  very  fully.  In  speaking  of  the  era  of 
Charles  II.,  Macaulay  says:  "Most  of  the  ships  which 
were  afloat  were  commanded  by  men  who  had  not  been 
bred  to  the  sea.  This,  it  is  true,  was  not  an  abuse 
introduced   by  the  government  of    Charles.      No  state, 


THE  ENGLISH  NAVY  UNDER  CHARLES  II.  613 

ancient  or  modern,  had  before  that  time  made  a  com- 
plete separation  between  the  naval  and  military  services. 
In  the  great  civilized  nations  of  antiquity,  Cymon  and 
Lysander,  Pompey  and  Agrippa  had  fought  battles  by 
sea  as  well  as  by  land.  Nor  had  the  impulse  which 
nautical  science  received  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth 
century  produced  any  new  division  of  labor.  At  Flod- 
den  the  right  wing  of  the  victorious  army  was  led  by 
the  Admiral  of  England.  At  Jarnac.  and  Moncontour, 
the  Huguenot  ranks  were  marshaled  by  the  Admiral  of 
France.  Neither  John  of  Austria,  the  conqueror  of 
Lepanto,  nor  Lord  Howard  of  Effingham,  to  whose 
direction  the  marine  of  England  was  confined  when 
the  Spanish  invaders  were  approaching  our  shores,  had 
received  the  education  of  a  sailor.  Raleigh,  highly  cele- 
brated as  a  military  commander,  had  served  during  many 
years  as  a  soldier  in  France,  the  Netherlands,  and  Ireland. 
Blake  had  distinguished  himself  by  his  skillful  and  valiant 
defense  of  an  inland  town  before  he  humbled  the  pride  of 
Holland  and  of  Castile  on  the  ocean.  Since  the  Restora- 
tion the  same  system  has  been  followed.  Great  fleets  had 
been  entrusted  to  the  direction  of  Rupert  and  Monk  — 
Rupert,  who  was  renowned  chiefly  as  a  hot  and  daring 
cavalry  officer,  and  Monk,  who,  when  he  wished  his  ship 
to  change  her  course,  moved  the  mirth  of  his  crew  by 
calling  out  'wheel  to  the  left.'" 

The  great  future,  always  before  us,  is  constantly  filled 
with  surprises.  Forty  years  ago  a  distinct  academy  was 
established  at  Annapolis    for  imparting  a  special  naval 


6 14  I'HE   VOLUNTEER  SOLDIER  OF  AMERICA. 

education.  Large  sums  of  money  have  since  been 
expended  by  the  National  Government  to  make  it  com- 
plete in  all  of  its  departments.  Graduates  have  been 
annually  turned  out  from  this  institution  who,  as  it  has 
been  supposed,  would  represent  the  highest  degree  of 
expert  naval  culture,  and  who  would  be  able  to  carry 
success  to  the  American  arms  in  all  our  future  naval  con- 
tests. Our  people  have  entertained  the  belief  that  under 
the  system  of  naval  education  at  Annapolis  they  possessed 
a  model  institution  fully  up  to  the  developments  of  the 
age.  With  the  introduction  of  steam  into  naval  vessels, 
the  Government  hastened  to  supply  the  facilities  for  an 
adequate  engineer  education.  But  oh,  the  irony  of  ex- 
perience !  After  forty  years  of  naval  education  at  An- 
napolis, embracing  in  its  course  the  whole  age  of  steam 
in  war-ships,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  establish  a 
Naval  College  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  naval  war.  This  institution  was  founded  in 
September  last,  by  Rear  Admiral  Stephen  B.  Luce,  com- 
mander of  the  North  Atlantic  squadron,  and  organized 
with  a  superintendent  and  a  staff  of  naval  professors,  as 
also  with  a  corps  of  civilian  lecturers.  In  his  opening 
address,  Admiral  Luce  said  that  by  the  study  of  the  land 
campaigns  of  Alexander  the  Great,  and  the  stories  of  the 
maneuvers,  the  play  and  counter-play  of  Turenne  and  his 
great  opponent  Montecuculli,  and  of  other  materials,  it 
was  proposed  to  build  up  the  science  of  naval  warfare. 
"  For,  having  no  authoritative  treatise  on  the  art  of  naval 
warfare  under  steam,"  said  the  Admiral,  "having  no  rec- 


FINAL  APPEAL  FOR   THE   VOLUNTEER.  615 

ognized  tactical  order  of  battle,  being  deficient  even  in 
the  terminology  of  steam  tactics,  we  must  perforce  resort 
to  the  well-known  rules  of  the  military  art  with  a  view  of 
their  application  to  the  military  movements  of  a  fleet,  and 
from  the  well-recognized  methods  of  disposing  troops  for 
battle  ascertain  the  principles  which  should  govern  fleet 
formations,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  author  refrains  from  the  extended  comment  which 
this  phase  of  the  subject  so  plainly  invites,  and  contents 
himself  with  presenting  the  facts  to  the  consideration  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  That  a  radical  reform  in  our  whole  sys- 
tem of  military  and  naval  education  is  urgently  demanded, 
no  reflecting  mind  will  dispute  after  a  careful  perusal  of 
the  facts  relating  to  those  branches  of  the  public  service 
which  have  been  massed  in  the  present  volume,  and  the 
author  but  manifests  his  confidence  in  the  enlightened 
judgment  of  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  when 
expressing  the  belief  that,  after  their  attention  has  been 
called  not  alone  to  the  requirements  of  the  public  situa- 
tion, but  also  to  the  plain  demands  of  justice,  the  Ameri- 
can volunteer — as  the  pivotal  point  upon  which  the 
security  of  our  people  and  the  perpetuation  of  their  liber- 
ties so  safely  rest  —  will  receive  the  full  meed  of  appreci- 
ation and  the  exact  measure  of  justice  to  which  his 
patriotism  and  his  self-sacrifice  so  richly  entitle  him. 

THE   END. 


APPENDIX. 


MILITARY  REMINISCENCES 

THE  WAR  IN  THE  WEST 

FROM     THE    JOURNAL     OF 

JOHN   A.    LOGAN, 

LATE    MAJOR-GENERAL    OF    VOLUNTEERS,    U.  S.  A. 


615 


MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 


These  Reminiscences  have  been  compiled  by  the  editor  frorii  the  journal 
of  General  Logan.  The  mamiscript  covers  a  complete  history  of  the  mil- 
itary operations  of  the  Union  armies  of  the  West,  from  the  battle  of 
Belmo7it  to  the  surrender  of  General  Johnston.  The  very  limited  space 
at  th^present  command  of  the  editor  has  necessitated  a  condensation  of 
material  which  presents  the  merest  outline  of  General  Logan's  valuable 
contribution  to  the  history  of  the  War  in  the  West.  But  the  extracts 
here  given,  in  the  form  of  Reminiscences,  brief  as  they  are,  cannot  fail  to 
be  of  great  interest  to  the  readers  of  "The  Volunteer  Soldier." 

C.  A.  L. 


The  Battle  of  Belmont. 

CAIRO  was  the  most  important  military  point  in  the  West  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Its  topographical 
situation  is  remarkable.  It  is  the  point  where  the  Mississippi  and  the 
Ohio  rivers  meet,  after  having  received  into  their  floods  the  tribu- 
tary streams  which  drain  more  than  one-half  of  the  great  interior 
valley  of  our  country.  It  is  also  the  center  from  which  a  circle 
may  be  drawn,  with  a  diameter  of  less  than  350  miles,  within 
which  will  be  included  parts  of  the  States  of  Mississippi,  Alabama, 
Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Missouri,  and  Arkansas. 

General  Grant  was  appointed  Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers 
on  the  7th  of  August,  1861,  but  his  commission  was  dated  back  to 
May  17th.  The  military  district  of  Southeastern  Missouri  was 
constituted   of  Southeastern  Missouri,  Southern  Illinois,  and  all  of 

Western  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  that  the  Union  army  might  be 

619 


620  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

able  to  hold.  Cairo  was  the  headquarters  of  the  district.  By- 
order  of  General  Fremont,  General  Grant  was  assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  district  named,  which  command  he  formally 
assumed  on  the  ist  of  September,  1861,  although  he  did  not  reach 
Cairo  until  the  2nd,  when  he  at  once  established  his  headquarters 
at  that  point.  Several  regiments  of  Union  troops,  including  my 
own,  the  Thirty-first  Illinois,  were  already  there,  and  had  been 
under  course  of  drill,  and  of  formation  into  brigades  by  McCler- 
nand. 

On  the  day  that  General  Grant  reached  Cairo,  the  rebel  Gen- 
eral, Leonidas  Polk,  with  a  considerable  force  from  Western 
Tennessee,  entered  Kentucky  and  seized  the  towns  of  Hickman 
and  Columbus,  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  the  former 
being  about  twenty-seven  miles  and  the  latter  about  twelve  miles 
south  of  Cairo. 

General  Grant  at  once  notified  the  Kentucky  Legislature, 
through  the  proper  channel,  of  this  violation  of  the  neutral  soil  of 
the  State,  when  a  resolution  was  adopted  declaring  that  "  Ken- 
tucky expects  the  Confederate  or  Tennessee  troops  to  be  with- 
drawn from  her  soil  unconditionally."  To  this  fulmination  Polk 
paid  no  attention,  a  course  which,  doubtless,  the  legislative  body 
expected  that  he  would  pursue. 

General  Grant  then  seized  Paducah,  in  the  State  of  Kentucky, 
situated  at  the  confluence  of  the  Tennessee  with  the  Ohio  River, 
and  General  C.  F.  Smith  was  placed  in  command  at  that  point. 
Soon  afterward  General  Smith  occupied  Smithland,  situated  at  the 
north  of  the  Cumberland  River.  General  Grant  then  asked  per- 
mission of  General  Fremont  to  make  an  attempt  to  capture  Col- 
umbus, which  permission,  however,  was  not  granted.  Polk  had 
begun  to  fortify  Columbus  with  all  the  means  at  his  command, 
while  General  Grant  spent  most  of  his  time  in  organizing  and 
disciplining  the  raw  troops  which  were  continually  arriving. 

Nearly  opposite  to  Columbus,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Mississippi,   and   situated  in  the    State    of  Missouri,    was  a   place 


THE  BATTLE  OE  BELMONT.  $21 

called  Belmont,  which  liad  been  a  mere  steamboat  landing,  and 
around  which  had  clustered  a  group  of  houses.  Belmont  was  situ- 
ated upon  a  river  flat,  with  marshes  almost  entirely  cutting  it  off 
from  the  mainland.  The  place  was  commanded  by  the  works 
erected  on  the  bluffs  at  Columbus  by  Polk,  who  had  succeeded  in 
putting  into  position  to  command  the  river  at  that  point  nearly 
one  hundred  and  fifty  guns,  nearly  all  of  which  were  thirty-two 
and  sixty-four-pounders.  After  the  completion  of  these  formid- 
able works,  Polk  began  the  fortification  of  other  points  upon  the 
river,  betw^een  Columbus  and  Memphis,  among  which  were 
included  Fort  Pillow,  just  above  Memphis,  Hickman,  Island  Num- 
ber Ten,  and  New  Madrid.  These  points  were  located  in  bends  of 
the  river,  and  at  distances  varying  from  fifteen  to  twenty-three 
miles  below  Columbus. 

General  Grant  had  been  no  less  active  than  his  rebel  opponent. 
He  had  fortified  Paducah  and  erected  Fort  Holt,  on  the  Kentucky- 
side,  and  had  also  built  some  works  at  Bird's  Point,  on  the  Mis- 
souri side,  opposite  Cairo.  He  had  also  constructed  a  fleet  of 
vessels,  composed  of  river  steamboats,  with  a  heavy  plating  of 
iron,  to  render  them  capable  of  resisting  the  enemy's  shot.  These 
were  armed  as  well  as  the  opportunity  permitted  ;  while  ramming- 
vessels  and  convoys  were  also  improvised. 

General  Fremont  was  in  pursuit  of  Sterling  Price  in  the  south- 
western part  of  Missouri,  and,  fearing  that  the  Confederates  would 
be  reinforced  by  Polk,  via  the  landing-place  called  Belmont,  Fre- 
mont instructed  General  Grant,  under  date  of  November  5th,  to 
make  a  strong  feint  upon  Columbus.  Grant  had  previously  sent 
Colonel  Oglesby  into  Missouri,  some  fiff)/'  miles  southwest  of 
Cairo,  to  drive  out  a  body  of  rebels  reported  to  be  congregated 
there.  After  Fremont's  order.  Grant  sent  another  regiment  to 
Oglesby,  with  an  order  to  march  toward  New  Madrid,  and  thus  to 
threaten  Belmont  from  the  west  and  south,  while  Grant  himself 
advanced  upon  the  same  place  from  the  north.  The  7th  of  Novem- 
ber was  fixed  as  the  day  upon  which  to  make  the  combined  dem- 


622  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

onstration.  General  Grant  had  three  transports,  some  five  regi- 
ments of  infantry,  one  of  cavalry,  and  a  section  of  artillery,  3,114 
men  all  told.  These  were  formed  into  two  small  brigades,  com- 
manded by  General  McClernand  and  Colonel  Dougherty,  and  con- 
voyed by  two  gun-boats. 

The  weather  was  not  all  that  could  be  desired,  but  the  men 
composing  our  force  were  in  good  condition,  and  eager  for  a  trial 
of  strength.  The  boys  of  the  Thirty-first  Illinois  were  in  splendid 
spirits,  and  were  determined  to  give  a  good  account  of  them- 
selves. 

General  Smith  was  directed  to  make  a  feint  from  Paducah  to 
the  rear  of  Columbus,  while  General  Grant  was  making  a  demon- 
stration in  front  of  the  place.  Polk,  however,  had  learned  of 
Oglesby's  advance  toward  New  Madrid,  and,  with  the  purpose  of 
intercepting  the  Union  force,  he  had  sent  a  considerable  body 
of  men  across  the  river  to  land  at  Belmont,  who  were  in  camp 
at  that  place.  Under  this  phase  of  affairs  General  Grant  deter- 
mined that,  instead  of  making  a  mere  feint  against  Columbus, 
he  would  attack  the  rebel  force  at  Belmont  direct,  capture  or 
disperse  the  troops  defending  it,  and  again  retire  to  Cairo. 

At  6  o'clock  A.  M.  we  moved  down  the  river,  and  at  Hunter's 
Landing,  on  the  Missouri  side,  sheltered  from  the  batteries  at 
Columbus  by  the  v/oods,  we  debarked  our  force.  Leaving  one 
battalion  at  the  landing  as  a  reserve  and  guard  for  the  transports, 
we  marched  upon  the  enemy's  camp  direct,  situated  some  three 
miles  down  the  river.  It  was  located  on  the  river  flat  in  a  large 
clearing,  and  was  protected  on  the  land  sides  by  abattis  and  breast- 
works, and  upon  the  river  side  by  the  formidable  batteries  of 
Columbus.  The  ground  over  which  we  were  compelled  to  travel 
was  wooded  and  marshy. 

The  rebel  force  consisted  oi  a  regiment  of  infantry  with  a 
battery  of  six  guns,  but  this  force  was  added  to  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  battle  by  three  additional  regiments  from 
Columbus,  under  General  Pillow. 


THE  BATTLE  OE  BELMONT.  623 

Our  advance  —  deployed  as  skirmishers  —  was  met  by  a  hot 
reception  from  the  rebels,  but  the  latter  were  driven  back,  step  by 
step,  upon  their  camp.  After  three  hours  of  hard  fighting,  during 
which  our  brave  volunteers,  under  lead  of  their  officers,  fought 
with  the  effectiveness  of  trained  veterans,  an  order  of  assault  was 
made;  our  boys  with  desperate  valor  charged  and  cleared  the 
abattis,  took  the  camp  with  several  hundred  prisoners  and  all  of 
the  rebel  artillery,  and  drove  the  remnant  of  the  enemy  over  the 
river  bank,  forcing  them  to  leave  a  well-cooked  breakfast  behind 
them.  This  remnant  might  also  have  been  captured  had  our 
troops  pursued  the  enemy  immediately.  But,  fatigued  with  the  hard 
march  and  fight,  hunger  invited  them  to  the  untouched  breakfast, 
which  seemed  to  have  been  especially  prepared  for  them,  and  many 
of  our  men  proceeded  to  devour  it.  After  this,  speech-making  was 
indulged  in,  and  loud  cheers  given  for  the  Union, 

The  flying  rebels,  under  protection  of  the  river  bank,  had 
safely  gained  the  woods  while  all  this  was  going  on.  General 
Grant,  fully  aware  of  the  danger,  and  feeling  that  the  direct  object 
of  the  expedition  had  been  accomplished,  attempted  to  restore  dis- 
cipline among  his  men,  and  then  gave  order  to  fire  the  camp  pre- 
paratory to  a  return.  Up  to  this  time  the  Confederates  at  Colum- 
bus had  refrained  from  firing,  lest  their  own  soldiers  might  suffer 
as  severely  as  the  Unionists;  but  now  that  the  flames  of  the  burn- 
ing camp  announced  the  defeat  and  dispersion  of  the  rebels,  the 
heavy  guns  at  Columbus  opened  a  severe  fire,  which  soon  recalled 
our  men  to  their  sense  of  danger.  So  general  had  been  the  jubi- 
lation that  only  one  regiment  of  our  troops,  the  Thirty-first  Illinois, 
had  retained  its  formation  in  ranks. 

The  order  to  return  to  the  transports  was  now  given  by  Gen- 
eral Grant,  but  the  rebel  commander  at  Columbus  determined  to 
retrieve  the  day  for  General  Pillow,  if  possible.  He  therefore  sent 
a  force  of  about  four  thousand  men,  under  General  Cheatham,  up 
the  river  in  steamboats  to  intercept  the  return  of  our  force  to  the 
transports  at  Hunter's  Landing.     In  consequence  of  the  bend  of 


624  MI  LI  TAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

the  river  near  Belmont  this  movement  v^^as  concealed  from  the 
view^  of  our  men,  though  Genera.l  Grant  observed  it.  Pillow's 
defeated  forces  that  had  escaped  to  the  wood  had  re-formed, 
and,  having  been  joined  by  Cheatham's  reinforcements,  they  formed 
a  line  of  battle  between  our  troops  and  the  transports. 

The  situation  was  serious,  and  the  cry  ''  We  are  surrounded  " 
being  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth,  many  of  our  men  became  dis- 
couraged. At  this  point  offers  were  made  to  General  Grant,  by 
officers  of  the  command,  to  lead  the  way  in  the  effort  to  cut 
through  the  rebel  line.  General  Grant,  realizing  the  temper  of  his 
officers,  restored  full  confidence  to  the  men  by  the  utterance,  "  We 
have  whipped  them  once,  and  can  do  it  again."  The  Thirty-first 
Illinois  charged  the  enemy,  and  cleared  a  passage  for  the  retreat 
of  our  troops;  but  Polk's  troops  continued  to  harass  the  rear  and 
flank  of  our  retreating  columns,  though  every  attempt  to  gain  a 
decisive  advantage  was  foiled  by  the  gallant  Thirty-first  Illinois, 
which  cleared  a  way  no  less  than  three  times  through  a  vastly 
superior  force  of  the  enemy. 

At  length,  reaching  the  transports,  our  men  rapidly  embarked, 
carrying  with  them  the  two  pieces  of  artillery  with  which  they 
commenced  the  march  and  two  rebel  guns,  the  other  four  of  the 
six  captured  having  been  spiked  on  the  retreat.  General  Grant 
then  rode  back  alone  to  withdraw  the  guard  left  in  the  morning, 
but  found  that  they  had  already  hurried  on  board.  The  rebels 
having  been  still  further  reinforced.  General  Grant  rode  with  all 
haste  to  the  transports,  and,  sliding  down  the  steep  bank  with  his 
horse,  he  rode  over  a  gang  plank  pushed  out  for  him  from  the  last 
transport  as  it  was  leaving. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  when  the  transports  shoved  off,  and 
the  fire  of  the  rebel  musketry  was  not  at  all  comfortable.  Very 
soon  our  gunboats,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Walke,  threw 
grape  and  canister  into  the  enemy  with  such  effect  that  they  pre- 
cipitately sought  the  shelter  of  the  woods.  One  of  our  brave  boys 
was  killed,  and  three  were  wounded  on  board  the  vessels  by  the 


THE  BA  TTLE  OF  BELMONT. 


625 


rebel  fire,  which  almost  invariably  overshot  us.  The  expedition 
reached  Cairo  without  further  molestation. 

The  numbers  engaged  upon  both  sides,  as  also  the  numbers  of 
killed  and  wounded,  have  been  variously  estimated.  Genera' 
Grant  claimed  that  we  had  about  2,500  men  engaged,  exclusive  of 
the  guard  left  at  the  transports.  The  rebel  journals  called  the 
battle  a  great  victory  for  the  Confederates.  The  truth  is  that  it 
was  a  most  disastrous  defeat  of  the  rebel  troops,  and  a  victory  of 
almost  the  first  magnitude  for  the  Union  cause. 

According  to  the  statements  of  the  various  Confederate  offi- 
cials, their  whole  force,  including  subsequent  reinforcements, 
numbered  at  the  least  7,000  men,  which  was  more  than  double  the 
iiumbers  of  the  Union  force.  Our  own  loss  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  captured  could  not  have  exceeded  550,  while  it  was  probably 
less  than  that  figure.  The  loss  of  the  enemy,  according  to  the 
most  trustworthy  estimates,  was  not  less  than  640.  Apart  from  these 
advantages  to  the  Union  cause,  however,  there  are  others  to  be 
reckoned  among  the  first  in  importance.  Oglesby  was  not  cut  off. 
Price  was  not  reinforced  by  Polk  from  Columbus,  and  the  fruit  of 
victory,  as  relating  to  these  prime  objects,  was  wholly  with  us. 

The  battle  was  important  to  us  in  still  other  respects.  It  had 
been  the  constant  claim  of  the  Southern  people  that  one  of  their 
men  could  whip  five  Northerners.  The  battle  of  Belmont,  if  it  did 
not  demonstrate  to  the  rebels  themselves  that  one  Union  soldier 
could  whip  two  Confederates,  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  our 
own  men  that  they  were  at  least  equal  to  the  enemy  man  to  man. 
The  battle  gave  many,  if  not  the  most  of  our  men  then  engaged, 
their  first  smell  of  powder.  It  inspired  confidence  in  their  own 
abilities  as  soldiers,  as  well  as  in  the  skill  of  their  officers.  It 
taught  a  lesson  concerning  the  value  of  discipline  which  our  men 
remembered  and  repeated  to  others  upon  almost  every  subsequent 
battle-field,  for  their  position  at  Belmont,  owing  to  their  own  lack 
of  caution,  had  been  very  perilous. 

These  were  the  general  fruits  of  the  conflict,  but  the  foregoing 


626  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES 

Statement  of  them  hardly  represents  full  justice  to  the  Union 
troops  who  participated  in  that  initial  conflict.  A  few  words  will 
suffice  to  show  more  in  detail  the  advantages  gained.  General 
Grant,  with  about  the  same  number  of  men,  had  attacked  and 
defeated  the  force  of  General  Pillow,  protected  by  abattis  and  the 
guns  of  Columbus.  He  had  fired  and  sacked  the  enemy's  camp; 
he  had  cut  his  way  through  a  force  more  than  double  the  number 
of  his  own,  composed  of  fresh  men  from  Columbus,  unfatigued  by 
marching  as  ours  were;  he  had  brought  off  two  guns  safely,  and 
spiked  four  others;  he  had  defeated  the  rebel  reinforcement  of 
Price,  the  successful  accomplishment  of  which  reinforcement 
would  have  been  a  calamity  to  the  Union  cause  the  extent  of 
which  none  could  foresee.  If  this  were  a  Confederate  victory, 
there  could  scarcely  be  too  many  of  them. 

The  Capture  of  Fort   Henry. 

Soon  after  the  battle  of  Belmont,  General  Fremont  was  replaced 
by  General  Hunter.  The  latter  fell  back  upon  Rolla  from  the 
position  before  Price.  Upon  November  12th,  1861,  Major-General 
Henry  W.  Halleck  superseded  Hunter,  and  assumed  command  of 
the  Department  of  the  Missouri,  which  had  been  made  to  include 
Arkansas  and  the  part  of  Kentucky  lying  west  of  the  Cumberland 
River.  The  State  of  Tennessee  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  State 
of  Kentucky  were  erected  into  a  command  under  General  Don 
Carlos  Buell.  These  changes  ensued  upon  the  retirement  of 
Major-General  Winfield  Scott  from  the  chief  command  of  the 
armies  and  the  succession  of  General  George  B.  McClellan  thereto. 
After  the  battle  of  Belmont  the  Confederate  commanders  in 
the  West  formed  their  great  strategic  line,  which  was  in  fact  but 
an  extension  of  a  line  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Mississippi.  The 
left  of  the  line  in  the  West  rested  at  Columbus,  Ky.,  and  its  right 
at  Bowling  Green  in  the  same  State.  At  Columbus  was  Polk,  with 
his  fortifications  and  armament  of  one  hundred  and  forty  guns 
covering  the  river  passage  to  Memphis  and  the  farther  South.     A 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  HENRY.  627 

Bowling  Green,  General  Buckner  was  in  command,  under  Gen- 
eral Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  with  a  large  army,  the  place  being  in 
communication  by  rail  with  Memphis  and  Columbus,  and  situated 
at  a  distance  of  ninety  miles  from  Louisville  and  sixty  miles  from 
Nashville.  Near  the  center  of  this  line,  and  crossing  it  at  right 
anglies,  ran  the  two  important  rivers  known  as  the  Cumberland 
and  the  Tennessee,  which  meander  in  their  course  through  most 
of  the  Southern  States  above  the  cotton-belt.  These  two  rivers 
flow  into  the  Ohio  at  points  not  very  far  apart;  and  at  a  distance 
of  about  seventy  miles  on  a  straight  line  from  where  they  empty 
into  the  Ohio  the  two  streams  are  not  more  than  eleven  miles 
apart.  At  the  points  of  closest  approach  the  Confederates  had 
established  two  very  strong  posts.  These  posts  commanded  the 
two  rivers,  respectively,  and  also  the  Memphis  and  Ohio  Railroad, 
which  crossed  both  rivers  just  above  the  newly  erected  fortifica- 
tions. The  fortification  on  the  Tennessee  River  was  called  Fort 
Henry,  and  that  upon  the  Cumberland  River  Fort  Donelson. 

General  Grant,  as  also  other  officers  under  his  command  at 
Cairo,  realized  from  the  first  establishment  of  this  line  that  the 
taking  of  these  two  points  by  the  Union  forces  would  be  attended 
with  momentous  consequences.  The  rebel  line  would  be  cut  in 
two,  and  the  enemy  be  compelled  to  retire  below  the  line  of  the 
border  slave  States,  whereby  the  war  in  the  West,  instead  of  being 
carried  to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  and  of  the  Mississippi  rivers,  with 
all  of  the  sad  consequences  to  the  North  that  ultimately  followed, 
would  have  been  confined  to  the  States  where  the  spirit  of  seces- 
sion was  the  most  rampant. 

Had  General  Grant  been  invested  at  this  early  stage  with  full 
and  single  authority  to  carry  on  the  campaign  according  to  his 
own  views  and  plans,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Rebellion 
would  have  been  crushed,  if  not  within  "  the  ninety  days  "  pre- 
scribed by  Secretary  Seward,  at  least  within  a  twelvemonth  from 
its  origin.  But  he  was  under  the  command  of  an  officer  who 
possessed  many  of  the  worst  qualities  of  the  professional  soldier. 


628  MI  LI  TAR  y  REMINISCENCES. 

A  mere  book-worm,  with  no  practical  tact  whatever,  he  was 
responsible  to  as  large  an  extent,  if  not  indeed  to  a  larger  extent, 
for  the  great  proportions  the  Rebellion  ultimately  assumed,  than 
any  individual,  either  in  or  out  of  the  army.  Absolutely  unfitted 
to  direct  any  important  military  movement,  he  was  vain  beyond 
counsel,  and  jealous  to  a  surprising  degree.  He  hampered  Gen- 
eral Grant  from  the  moment  he  realized  the  energy  of  the  young 
officer  up  to  the  time  that  he  no  longer  had  power  to  molest  him. 
Up  to  a  certain  point  of  the  early  operations  in  the  West,  Grant 
went  through  a  continuous  struggle  to  do  what  his  judgment  told 
him  ought  to  be  done. 

The  latter  foresaw  from  an  early  moment  the  necessity  certain 
to  arise  for  vessels  with  which  to  carry  on  hostile  operations  upon 
the  various  navigable  water-courses.  Hence,  while  disciplining  his 
troops  at  Cairo,  he  pushed  forward,  under  supervision  of  Flag 
Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  the  construction  of  those  Iron-clad  gun-boats, 
transports,  and  convoy  vessels  which  rendered  such  invaluable  ser- 
vice in  the  subsequent  operations  against  the  enemy. 

General  Grant's  district  of  Cairo  had  been  enlarged  by  various 
additions  and  then  denominated  the  district  of  Southern  Missouri. 
He  had  previously  made  a  demonstration  toward  Mayfield  and 
Murry  in  two  columns,  the  one  being  under  General  McClernand 
and  the  other  under  C.  F.  Smith,  which  had  at  least  a  favorable 
result  as  a  reconnoissance  at  these  points.  The  movements  were 
made,  however,  under  the  most  difficult  circumstances,  the  roads 
being  almost  impassable  and  the  weather  stormy  and  cold.  By 
threatening  the  enemy's  railroad  communications  between  Colum- 
bus and  Bowling  Green,  the  reinforcement  of  either  Buckner  or 
Zollicoffer,  on  his  right,  from  Columbus,  was  prevented;  and  thus 
General  Thomas  was  enabled  to  meet  and  disperse  Zollicoffer's 
army  at  Mill  Springs  in  Eastern  Kentucky.  At  length  General 
Grant's  long-sought  permission  to  advance  upon  the  enemy's  center 
was  given,  and  on  the  first  of  February  the  following  order, 
authorizing  the  advance,  was  received  by  General  Grant  : 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  HENRY.  629 

"Headquarters  of  the  Department  of  the  Missouri, 

"  St.  Louis,  January  30. 
^'  Brigadier-General  U.  S.  Grant,  Cairo,  III.: 

"  You  will  immediately  prepare  to  send  forward  to  Fort  Henry,  on  the  Ten- 
nessee River,  all  your  available  forces  from  Smithland,  Paducah,  Cairo,  Fort 
Hope,  Bird's  Point,  etc.  Special  garrisons  must  be  left  to  hold  these  places  against 
an  attack  from  Columbus.  As  the  roads  are  now  almost  impassable  for  large 
forces,  and  as  your  command  is  very  deficient  in  transportation,  the  troops  will  be 
taken  in  steamers  up  the  Tennessee  River  as  far  as  practicable.  Supplies  will 
also  be  taken  up  in  steamers  as  far  as  possible.  Flag-Officer  Foote  will  protect 
the  transports  with  his  gun-boats.  The  Benton,  and  perhaps  some  others,  should 
be  left  for  the  defense  of  Cairo.  Fort  Henry  should  be  taken  and  held  at  all 
hazards.  I  shall  immediately  send  you  three  additional  companies  of  artillery 
from  this  place.  The  river  front  of  the  fort  is  armed  with  twenty-pounders,  and 
it  may  be  necessary  for  you  to  take  some  guns  of  large  caliber,  and  establish  a 
battery  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  It  is  believed  that  the  guns  on  the  land 
side  are  of  small  caliber  and  can  be  silenced  by  our  field  artillery.  It  is  said  that 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  below  the  fort,  is  favorable  for  landing.  If  so,  you 
will  land  and  rapidly  occupy  the  road  to  Dover  and  fully  invest  the  place,  so  as  to 
cut  off  the  retreat  of  the  garrison,  Lieutenant-Colonel  McPherson,  United  States 
Engineers,  will  immediately  report  to  you  to  act  as  chief  engineer  of  the  expe- 
dition. It  is  very  probable  that  an  attempt  will  be  made  from  Columbus  to 
reinforce  Fort  Henry,  also  Fort  Donelson,  at  Dover.  If  you  can  occupy  the  road 
to  Dover  you  can  prevent  the  latter.  The  steamers  will  give  you  the  means  of 
crossing  from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the  other.  It  is  said  that  there  is  a  masked 
battery  opposite  the  island  below  Fort  Henry.  If  this  cannot  be  avoided  or  turned, 
it  must  be  taken. 

"  Having  invested  Fort  Henry,  the  cavalry  forces  will  be  sent  forward  to 
break  up  the  railroad  from  Paris  to  Dover.  The  bridges  should  be  rendered 
impassable,  but  not  destroyed. 

"  A  telegram  from  Washington  says  that  Beauregard  left  Manassas  four  days 
ago  with  fifteen  regiments  for  the  line  of  Columbus  and  Bowling  Green.  It  is, 
therefore,  of  the  greatest  importance  that  we  get  that  line  before  he  arrives.  You 
will  move  with  the  least  delay  possible.  You  will  furnish  Commodore  Foote  with 
a  copy  of  this  letter.  A  telegraph  line  will  be  extended  as  rapidly  as  possible 
from  Paducah  east  of  the  Tennessee  River  to  Fort  Henry.  Wires  and  operators 
will  be  sent  from  St.  Louis.  H.  W.  Halleck, 

"  Major-General." 

On  the  2nd  of  February,  only  twenty-four  hours  after  receiving 
the  official  order,  General  Grant  with  fifteen  thousand  men,  carry- 
ing three  days'  rations  in  their  haversacks,  left  Cairo  on  steam 
transports,  convoyed  by  a  fleet  of  seven  gun-boats  under  Flag- 
Officer  Foote,  and  started  up  the  Ohio  River  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Tennessee,  some  forty-five   miles  distant  by  water,  and  for  Fort 


630  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

Henry,  some  sixty  or  more  miles  up,  and  on  the  eastern  bank  of 
the  Tennessee. 

After  a  brief  pause  at  Paducah  for  the  better  disposition  of  the 
forces,  the  evening  of  Monday,  the  3d,  found  the  fleet  steam- 
ing rapidly  up  the  muddy  waters  of  the  Tennessee  and  through 
heavy  rains,  under  the  protection  of  the  gun-boats  Essex,  St.  Louis, 
Cincinnati,  Carondelet,  Tyler,  Conestoga,  and  Lexington,  the  Cin- 
cinnati being  the  flag-ship.  On  the  morning  of  Tuesday,  the  4th, 
the  fleet  was  moored  some  ten  miles  below  the  fort.  The  attack 
having  been  set  for  Thursday,  the  6th,  General  Grant,  with  the 
Essex  and  two  others  of  the  gun-boats,  made  a  reconnoissance  on 
Tuesday  toward  the  fort,  shelling  the  woods  on  each  side  of  the 
river  as  they  advanced,  in  order  to  unm_ask  concealed  batteries,  if 
any  existed,  and  subsequently  shelling  Fort  Henry,  so  as  to  draw 
its  fire  and  ascertain  the  range  of  its  guns.  During  this  operation 
the  Essex  was  struck  by  a  thirty-two-pound  shot.  Wednesday 
was  consumed  in  debarking  the  troops  about  three  or  four  miles 
below  the  fort,  a  short  distance  below  Panther  Island,  which 
occupied  the  center  of  the  river.  They  were  landed  on  both  sides 
of  the  river.  Meanwhile  two  of  the  gun-boats  proceeded  to  clear 
the  stream  of  rebel  torpedoes,  and  General  Grant  and  Commodore 
Foote  arranged  the  plan  of  battle  for  the  following  morning.  The 
Comte  de  Paris  says  of  Fort  Henry  that,  "set  upon  low  and 
marshy  ground,  its  sides  protected  by  two  streams,  that  work  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  a  regular  bastioned  pentagon.  It  had  an 
armament  of  seventeen  guns,  placed  e?i  barbette,  twelve  of  which 
pointed  toward  the  river.  Three  thousand  Confederates  occupied 
the  fort,  under  General  Tilghman."  Tilghman,  in  his  own  report 
made  to  the  Confederate  War  Department,  places  his  garrison  at 
2,734  men,  and  states  that  eleven  of  his  heavy  guns  bore  on  the 
river,  while  Colonel  Gilmer,  the  rebel  engineer,  acknowledges 
twelve.  On  the  west  or  Kentucky  side  of  the  river,  on  the  heights 
commanding  Fort  Henry,  stood  unfinished  works  known  as  Fort 
Heiman.     The  town  of  Dover  was  an  important  station  connecting 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  HENRY.  631 

with  the  railroad  communication  between  Bowling  Green  and  Col- 
umbus, and  was  within  the  outer  lines  of  Fort  Donelson,  on  the 
Cumberland,  ten  miles  or  more  away.  The  Dover  road  was,  there- 
fore, the  Fort  Donelson  road  also.  The  plan  of  battle  was  as  fol- 
lows: On  the  morning  of  the  6th  General  C.  F.  Smith  was  to 
advance  with  two  brigades  along  the  western  or  Kentucky  bank 
upon  Fort  Heiman,  while  the  main  body  of  the  Union  forces, 
under  General  McClernand,  was  to  advance  at  eleven  o'clock  a.  m. 
from  Bailey's  Ferry,  and  cross  Panther  Creek  to  the  Dover  road, 
which  led  up  to  the  center  of  the  land  side  of  Fort  Henry,  and, 
continuing  to  the  large  creek  behind,  complete  the  investment  of 
the  latter  fort,  and  cut  off  the  escape  of  the  garrison  or  its  succor 
by  any  available  reinforcements  from  Fort  Donelson.  At  the  same 
time  the  gun-boats  were  to  attack  from  the  water  side.  Smith  was 
to  bring  his  artillery  to  bear  upon  the  fort  from  the  heights  of  Fort 
Heiman,  and  at  the  opportune  moment  the  position  was  to  be  car- 
ried by  assault  of  the  military  forces  from  the  land  side.  This 
programme,  however,  miscarried.  The  Union  forces,  upon  reach- 
ing the  west  bank  of  the  river,  found  that  Fort  Heiman  had 
already  been  evacuated  and  Fort  Henry  had  surrendered.  On  the 
east  or  Tennessee  side  of  the  river  the  ground  was  badly  cut  up 
with  slippery  hills  and  miry  ravines,  nearly  all  the  distance  to  be 
marched  being  either  under  water  from  the  overflow  of  the  Ten- 
nessee or  thoroughly  soaked  by  the  tremendous  storm  of  the  pre- 
vious night,  and  in  consequence  of  this  fact  McClernand  was  also 
too  late.  The  march  was  well  described  in  these  words  by  one 
who  was  with  McClernand's  column  :^ 

"  Our  route  was  along  a  rough  cart  path  which  twisted  and 
turned  about  among  the  high  wooded  hills  in  a  most  perplexing 
manner.  The  storm  of  the  previous  night  had  soaked  the  alluvial 
soil  of  the  bottoms,  until  under  the  tread  of  the  troops  it  speedily 
became  reduced   to   the   consistency  of   soft  porridge  of   almost 


^  The  army  correspondent  of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette. 


632  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

immeasurable  depth,  rendering  marching  very  difficult  for  the 
infantry,  and  for  the  artillery  almost  impassable.  For  some  three 
hours  we  thus  struggled  along,  when  suddenly  the  roar  of  a  heavy 
gun  came  booming  over  the  hills,  and  another  and  another  told  us 
that  the  gun-boats  had  commenced  the  attack.  For  an  instant  the 
entire  column  seemed  to  halt  to  listen;  then,  springing  forward,  we 
pushed  on  with  redoubled  vigor.  But  mile  after  mile  of  slippery 
hills  and  muddy  swamps  were  passed  over,  and  still  the  fort  seemed 
no  nearer.  We  could  plainly  hear  the  roar  of  the  guns  and  the 
whistle  of  the  huge  shells  through  the  air,  but  the  high  hills  and 
dense  woods  completely  obstructed  the  view.  Suddenly  the  firing 
ceased.  We  listened  for  it  to  recommence,  but  all  was  still.  We 
looked  in  each  other's  faces  and  wonderingly  asked,  what  does  it 
mean  ?  Is  it  possible  that  our  gun-boats  have  been  beaten  back  ? 
For  that  the  rebels  should  abandon  this  immense  fortification,  on 
which  the  labor  of  thousands  of  negro  slaves  had  been  expended 
for  months,  after  barely  an  hour's  defense,  and  before  our  land 
troops  had  even  come  in  sight  of  them,  seemed  too  improbable  to 
suppose.  Cautiously  we  pressed  forward,  but  ere  long  one  of  our 
advance  scouts  came  galloping  back,  announcing  that  the  rebels 
had  abandoned  the  fort  and  seemed  to  be  forming  in  line  of  battle 
on  the  hills  adjoining.  With  a  cheer  our  boys  pressed  forward. 
Soon  came  another  messenger,  shouting  that  the  enemy  had  aban- 
doned his  intrenchments  completely  and  was  now  in  full  retreat 
through  the  woods. 

"  On  we  went,  plunging  through  the  deep  mud  and  fording 
swollen  creeks  until,  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  higher  than  any  we 
had  previously  surmounted,  we  came  upon  the  tattered  line  of  the 
rebel  fortifications.  An  earthen  breastwork  defended  by  an  im- 
mense, long  rifle-pit  stretched  away  on  either  side,  until  it  was  lost 
to  sight  in  the  thick  woods.  Outside  of  this  the  timber  had  been 
felled  in  a  belt  of  several  rods  in  width,  forming  a  barrier  very 
difficult  for  footmen  and  impassable  for  cavalry.  This  breastwork 
inclosed  fully  a  square  mile.     Crossing  it  and  pushing  forward,  we 


THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  HENRY.  633 

came  soon  to  another  similar  line  of  defense,  and  further  on  still 
another,  before  we  reached  the  fort  itself,  and,  crossing  a  deep 
slough  which  protected  it  on  the  land  side,  we  stood  within  the 
rebel  stronghold." 

While  McClernand's  column  was  thus  struggling  with  the  diffi- 
culties interposed  by  nature  and  art  to  their  advance  upon  the  land 
side  of  Fort  Henry,  and  C.  F.  Smith's  column  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river  was  laboriously  marching  upon  Fort  Heiman,  the  scene 
taking  place  during  the  river  attack  was,  briefly,  as  follows  :  Com- 
modore Foote  had  under  his  command  seven  gun-boats.  Of  these 
three  were  unarmored,  and  four  were  iron-clad,  though  not  wholly 
so.  His  plan  of  advance  was  for  three  of  the  iron-clads,  the 
St.  Louis,  Carondelet,  and  Essex,  to  keep  side  by  side  with  his 
own  iron-clad,  the  Cincinnati,  and  to  steam  slowly  up  the  river, 
"bows  on,"  toward  the  fort  —  their  speed  to  be  regulated  by  that 
of  his  own  vessel  —  while  the  unarmored  gun-boats  Tyler,  Conestoga, 
and  Lexington  were  to  form  side  by  side  a  second  line  in  the  rear 
of  the  first,  and,  from  a  position  of  comparative  safety,  to  bombard 
Fort  Henry  and  the  rebel  encampment  over  fehe  heads  of  the 
advance  division  of  "turtle"  iron-clads.  This  programme  was 
carried  out  to  the  letter.  Immediately  after  passing  the  upper  end 
of  the  wooded  island  called  Panther  Island,  which  was  about  a 
mile  and  a  quarter  below  the  fort,  the  Cincinnati  opened  fire  at 
12.30  p.  M.,  throwing  a  shell  with  a  fifteen-second  fuse  from  an 
eight-inch  Dahlgren  into  the  fort.  The  St.  Louis  and  Carondelet 
threw  similar  missiles,  while  the  Essex  fired  eighty-pound  shells. 
The  rebel  guns  instantly  replied,  and  the  firing  soon  became  general. 
Twelve  guns  of  the  fort  were  trailed  upon  the  attacking  squadron, 
whose  van  could  only  bring  to  bear  upon  the  enemy  the  bow  guns, 
some  seven  or  twelve  in  number,  the  accounts  varying.  The  fire 
from  the  slowly  but  steadily  advancing  gun-boats  was  very  delib- 
erate, accurate,  and  destructive,  their  shells  plunging  into  the  fort 
and  camp  with  all  the  precision  of  target  practice.  "And  now," 
says  the  Boston  JournaVs  graphic  account,  "there  was  a  visible 


634 


MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 


commotion  in  the  rebel  camp.  The  first  shell  from  the  Cincinnati 
threw  the  troops  into  disorder,  and  at  the  fourth  round,  unable  to 
stand  the  terrible  hail  which  was  bringing  sure  destruction,  they 
broke  and  fled,  leaving  arms,  ammunition,  provisions,  blankets,  tents, 
everything,  and  poured  out  of  the  intrenchment  a  motley,  panic- 
stricken  rabble,  taking  the  road  toward  Dover.  A  portion  jumped  on 
board  a  small  steamboat  which  was  lying  in  the  creek  above  the  fort, 
and  esca:ped  up  the  river.  *  *  *  Straight  onward  moved  the 
boats,  swerving  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  As  they  neared 
the  fort  their  firing  became  more  and  more  destructive.  The  sand- 
bags and  gabions  were  knocked  about,  covering  the  guns  and 
smothering  those  who  served  them.  At  an  early  moment  in  the 
fight  the  rifled  gun  of  the  rebels  burst.  *  *  *  The  gun-boats 
were  repeatedly  hit,  and  those  portions  which  were  not  plated  with 
iron  were  badly  riddled. 

"  The  fight  had  lasted  fifty  minutes  with  scarcely  a  casualty 
on  our  part,  when  a  twenty-four-pound  shot  entered  the  Essex, 
passed  through  the  thick  oak  planking  surrounding  the  boilers  and 
engines,  and  entered  the  starboard  boiler,  instantly  disabling  her, 
filling  the  entire  boat  with  steam,  and  scalding  twenty-nine  officers 
and  men  of  her  crew.  She  at  once  dropped  behind  and  floated 
down  with  the  stream  until  taken  up  by  a  tug  and  towed  to  the 
encampment. 

"  The  rebels  were  greatly  encouraged  by  this  circumstance. 
They  revived  their  flagging  fire  and  evidently  felt  that  victory  was 
still  to  be  theirs.  But  the  fleet  did  not  falter  for  a  moment.  It 
kept  on  straight  forward  to  the  batteries  as  if  nothing  had  oc- 
curred. The  vessels  were  now  at  close  range.  Their  shells  tore 
up  the  embankments  as  they  exploded  directly  over  the  guns.  One 
eighty-pound  shell  killed  or  wounded  every  person  serving  one  of 
the  guns;  while  the  shots  of  the  enemy  which  struck  the  iron 
plating  of  the  gun-boats  glanced  off,  doing  no  harm.  There  were 
no  signs  of  retreat,  none  of  stopping,  on  the  part  of  Commodore 
Foote,  and  those  who  beheld  the  fleet  supposed  from  the  indica- 


THE    CAPTURE    OF  FORT  HENRY.  635 

tions  that  he  was  going  to  run  straight  on  to  the  shore  and  pour 
in  his  fire  at  two  rods'  distance. 

"  Such  coolness,  determination,  and  energy  had  not  been 
counted  on  by  the  rebel  General,  and  at  forty-six  minutes  past 
one,  or  one  hour  and  twelve  minutes  from  the  commencement  of 
the  fight,  when  the  gun-boats  were  within  three  or  four  hundred 
yards  of  the  fort,  the  rebel  flag  came  down  by  the  run. 

"  In  an  instant  all  firing  ceased.  *  *  *  'pj^g  ^^_  Louis,  being 
nearest,  immediately  sent  a  boat  on  shore,  and  the  stars  and  stripes 
went  up  with  a  wild  huzzah  from  the  crews.  General  Tilghman, 
who  commanded  the  rebels,  asked  for  Commodore  Foote.  Word 
was  sent  from  the  Cincinnati  that  Commodore  Foote  would  be 
happy  to  receive  him  on  board  that  gun-boat,  and  the  gig  of  the 
Cincinnati  was  sent  to  the  shore.  The  rebel  General  entered  it,  and 
soon  stood  before  the  Commodore.  General  Tilghman  asked  for 
terms.  '  No,  sir,'  was  the  Commodore's  reply;  '  your  surrender 
must  be  unconditional.'  *  Well,  sir,  if  I  must  surrender,  it  gives 
me  pleasure  to  surrender  to  so  brave  an  officer  as  you.'  '  You  do 
perfectly  right  to  surrender,  sir,  but  I  should  not  have  surrendered 
•on  any  condition.'  '  Why  so  ?  I  do  not  understand  you.'  *  Be- 
■cause  I  was  fully  determined  to  capture  the  fort,  or  to  go  to  the 
bottom.'  The  rebel  General  opened  his  eyes  at  this  remark  and 
replied:  'I  thought  I  had  you.  Commodore,  but  you  were  too 
much  for  me.'  'But  how  could  you  fight  against  the  old  flag  ? ' 
■'  Well,  it  did  come  hard  at  first,  but  if  the  North  had  only  let  us 
alone  there  would  have  been  no  trouble.  But  they  would  not 
-abide  by  the  Constitution.'  Commodore  Foote  assured  him  that 
lie  and  all  of  the  South  were  mistaken." 

There  were  some  seven  hundred  shots,  in  all,  fired  during  this 
gallant  fight,  some  four  hundred  by  the  attacking  squadron,  and 
•over  three  hundred  by  the  fort.  The  fort  was  badly  damaged, 
w^hile  four  of  the  gun-boats  were  struck,  to-wit:  the  Cincinnati  \vi 
thirty-one  places,  the  St.  Louis  in  seven,  the  Carondelet  in  six,  and 
the  Essex  in  fifteen,  one  of   which  disabled   the  latter.     The  rebel 


636  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

General  Tilghman  afterward  stated  that  his  reasons  for  concen- 
trating his  fire  on  the  Cincinnati  were  because  she  was  the  flag-ship 
and  he  hoped  to  disable  her;  and  thus  by  getting  her  and  the 
Commodore  out  of  the  way,  the  other  vessels  would  be  an  easier 
prey  to  his  guns;  and  because,  also,  she  had  got  the  range  of  the 
fort  better,  and  her  fire,  especially  just  before  the  surrender,  was 
most  terrific.  One  of  the  rebel  shots  split  the  muzzle  of  one  of 
the  largest  guns  on  the  flag-ship;  another  completely  decap- 
itated one  of  the  gunners;  while  a  third,  a  hundred-and-twenty- 
eight-pounder,  struck  without  penetrating  the  iron-clad  pilot-house 
at  a  point  only  a  few  inches  from  the  head  of  the  Commodore,  who 
was  inside  with  the  pilots,  the  violence  of  the  concussion  eliciting 
from  them  all  a  **  very  decided  grunt." 

The  Essex,  besides  the  twenty-nine  officers  and  men  of  her  crew 
scalded,  according  to  the  report  of  Commodore  Foote,  also  had 
nineteen  soldiers  on  board  who  were  injured.  The  Cincinnati  lost 
only  one  killed  and  nine  wounded  by  the  enemy's  fire.  This  com- 
prised the  total  Union  loss.  The  enemy's  casualties  were  compar- 
atively small,  being  five  killed  and  sixteen  wounded.  The  rebel 
General  Tilghman  and  staff,  with  sixty  artillerists,  were  taken  pris- 
oners, and  there  were  also  captured  twenty  guns  and  seventeen 
mortars,  the  guns  being  mostly  of  heavy  caliber ;  a  hospital  ship,, 
with  sixty  rebel  sick,  and  barracks  and  tents  capable  of  accommo- 
dating 15,000  men,  all  of  which  were  turned  over  to  General  Grant 
half  an  hour  or  more  after  the  surrender,  upon  his  arrival  in 
force. 

The  Thirty-first  Illinois  Regiment  was  the  first  to  enter  the 
breastworks,  and  also  among  the  first  to  enter  the  fort.  The  same 
night  it  was  my  privilege  to  take  Warren  Stewart's  cavalry  and 
part  of  the  Thirty-first  Illinois,  and  to  press  the  enemy  on  the  direct 
road  to  Dover,  in  the  performance  of  which  duty  ten  pieces  of  the 
enemy's  artillery  were  taken  and  secured.  General  Grant's  report^ 
written  from  Fort  Henry,  was  as  follows: 


THE    CAPTURE   OF  EON 'J'  IJENKY.  637 

"  Headquartkks  District  of  Cairo, 

"  Fort  Henry,  February  6,  1861. 
"  Captain  J.  T.  Kelton,  St.  Louis,  Mo.: 

"  Enclosed  I  send  you  my  orders  for  the  attack  upon  Fort  Henry.  Owing  to 
dispatches  received  from  Major-General  Halleck  and  corroborating  information 
here,  to  the  effect  that  the  enemy  were  rapidly  reinforcing,  I  thought  it  impera- 
tively necessary  that  the  fort  should  be  carried  to-day.  My  forces  were  not  up  at 
eleven  o'clock  last  night  when  my  orders  were  written;  therefore  I  did  not  deem 
it  practicable  to  set  an  earlier  hour  than  eleven  o'clock  to-day  to  commence  the 
investment.  The  gun-boats  started  the  same  hour  to  commence  the  attack,  and 
engaged  the  enemy  at  not  over  six  hundred  yards. 

"  In  a  little  over  one  hour  all  the  batteries  were  silenced,  and  the  fort  sur- 
rendered at  discretion  to  Flag-Officer  Foote,  giving  us  all  their  guns,  camp  equi- 
page, etc.  The  prisoners  taken  were  General  Tilghman  and  staff,  Captain  Taylor 
and  company,  and  the  sick.  The  garrison,  I  think,  must  have  commenced  the 
retreat  last  night,  or  at  an  early  hour  this  morning.  Had  I  not  felt  it  an  impera- 
tive duty  to  attack  Fort  Henry  to-day,  I  should  have  made  the  investment  com- 
plete and  delayed  until  to-morrow  so  as  to  have  secured  the  garrison.  I  do  not 
now  believe,  however,  that  the  result  would  have  been  any  more  satisfactory. 

"  The  gun-boats  have  proved  themselves  well  able  to  resist  a  severe  cannon- 
ading. All  the  iron-clads  received  more  or  less  shots,  the  flag-ship  some  twenty- 
eight,  without  any  serious  damage  to  any  except  the  Essex.     *     *     * 

"  I  shall  take  and  destroy  Fort  Donelson  on  the  8th,  and  return  to  Fort  Henry 
with  the  forces  employed,  unless  it  looks  possible  to  occupy  the  place  with  a 
small  force  that  could  retreat  easily  to  the  main  body.  I  shall  regard  it  more  ia 
the  light  of  an  advanced  grand  guard  than  as  a  permanent  post.     *    *    « 

"  U.  S.  Grant, 

"  Brigadier-General."^ 

In  General  Grant's  dispatch  to  Halleck  he  simply  said: 
"  Fort  Henry  is  ours.  The  gun-boats  silenced  the  batteries  before 
the  investment  was  completed.  *  *  *  j  shall  take  and  destroy 
Fort  Donelson  on  the  8th,  and  return  to  Fort  Henry."  His  writ- 
ten report  of  the  same  date  contains  similar  language. 

It  was  subsequently  decided,  however,  that  the  land  advance 
upon  Fort  Donelson  must  be  delayed,  and  that  the  gun-boats 
should  first  start  down  the  Tennessee,  along  the  intervening  bend 
of  the  Ohio,  and  up  the  Cumberland  toward  Donelson,  convoying 
transports  with  reinforcements  turned  back  or  gathered  on  the 
way  down,  which  should  be  landed  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Cum- 
berland just  below  Fort  Donelson,  establishing  a  new  supply-base 


^  Badeau's  Appendix. 


638  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

there,  and  cooperating  with   the  other  forces  that  would,  in  the 
interim,  march  entirely  overland  to  that  fort. 

Meanwhile,  and  immediately  upon  the  surrender  of  Fort 
Henry,  Commodore  Foote  had  ordered  Lieutenant-Commander 
Phelps,  with  his  division  of  three  unarmored  gun-boats,  to  steam 
up  the  Tennessee  River  to  Benton,  "to  remove  the  rails,  and  so  far 
render  the  bridge  of  the  railroad  for  transportation  and  communi- 
cation between  Bowling  Green  and  Columbus  useless,  and  after- 
ward to  pursue  the  rebel  gun-boats  and  secure  their  capture  if 
possible" — orders  which  not  only  resulted  in  the  destruction  of 
the  railroad  bridge,  and  the  capture  or  destruction  of  the  rebel 
vessels  and  much  material  of  war,  but  also  in  the  triumphant  carry- 
ing of  the  Union  flag  through  the  State  of  Tennessee  and  into  Ala- 
bama, until  the  shallow  water  at  Muscle  Shoals,  near  Florence, 
prevented  a  farther  ascent  of  the  river. 

The  Capture  of  Fort  Donelson. 

Polk  with  a  large  rebel  army  was  at  Columbus,  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, which  point  constituted  the  rebel  left,  covering  Memphis. 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  at  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  which  consti- 
tuted the  rebel  right,  impregnably  fortified,  and  occupied  by 
another  army  of  at  least  fifty  thousand  effective  men.  The  Union 
General  George  H.  Thomas  (under  Buell's  orders)  had  annihilated 
Zollicoffer's  forces  at  Mill  Spring.  Thomas  having  turned  one 
flank  of  the  enemy's  position  at  Bowling  Green,  Grant's  capture  of 
Fort  Henry  threatened  the  other. 

An  immediate  result  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Henry  was  the  evacua- 
tion of  Bowling  Green  and  its  occupation  by  the  Union  forces 
under  Buell,  while  part  of  Sidney  Johnston's  rebel  army  fell  back 
upon  Nashville,  the  capital  of  Tennessee,  which  city,  besides  being 
located  on  the  Cumberland  River,  was  one  of  the  great  railroad 
centers  of  the  Southern  and  border  States.  While  being  forced  to 
this  retrograde  movement,  however,  Johnston  was  fully  aware  of 
the  great  importance  of  holding  Fort  Donelson,  both  for  defensive 


THE   CAPTURE   OF  FORT  DONELSON.  639 

and  offensive  reasons  —  defensive  of  the  new  rebel  right  at  Nash- 
ville by  the  Cumberland  River  approach,  and  offensive  because  it 
was  a  point  from  which  as  a  base  either  Fort  Henry  might  be 
taken  or  other  and  stronger  rebel  works  on  the  Tennessee  might 
be  constructed.  In  the  accomplishment  of  that  end,  both  streams 
being  once  more  placed  under  rebel  domination,  the  threatened 
Union  advance  through  the  border  States  of  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee upon  the  Gulf  States  would  be  checked  if  not  prevented, 
and  the  rebels  would  then  dominate  both  States,  besides  being  able 
to  threaten  Missouri.  Hence  Johnston  lost  no  time,  after  he  had 
evacuated  Bowling  Green,  in  sending  from  that  and  the  intermedi- 
ate towns  of  Russellville  and  Cumberland  City,  on  the  line  of  the 
Memphis  and  Ohio  Railroad,  strong  reinforcements  —  all  the 
troops,  in  fact,  which  he  could  spare  —  to  Fort  Donelson,  under 
Generals  Buckner,  Pillow,  and  Floyd ;  and  these  officers,  suc- 
cessively upon  their  arrival,  by  reason  of  seniority  in  rank,  assumed 
chief  command  of  the  fort  and  the  rebel  forces  there  assem- 
bled. But  while  Johnston,  on  the  one  hand,  hurried  all  the  rebel 
troops  possible  to  be  sent  in  order  to  defend  Fort  Donelson,  so,  on 
the  other,  Grant's  repeated  and  urgent  demands  for  reinforce- 
ments ultimately  brought  such  Union  troops  by  rail  and  water  as 
could  be  spared  from  Hunter's  command  in  Kansas,  from  other 
commands  in  Missouri  under  Halleck,  and  even  by  the  long  circuit 
of  the.  Green,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Cumberland  rivers,  from  Buell's 
Department  of  Eastern  Kentucky.  In  the  immediate  present, 
however,  Grant  could  only  be  absolutely  certain  of  the  fifteen 
thousand  men  that  he  had  with  him,  and  with  these,  in  case  he 
could  get  no  other  assistance,  he  intended  to  attack,  as  soon  as 
possible,  at  least  an  equal  force  of  rebels  sheltered  behind  massive 
earth-works  and  protected  by  numerous  guns  of  heavy  caliber. 
The  undertaking  was  a  desperate  one.  Grant's  original  intention, 
as  may  be  gathered  from  his  dispatches,  was  to  march  immedi- 
ately across  from  Fort  Henry  after  its  fall,  and  to  carry  Fort  Don- 
elson by  storm.     But  delay  was  necessitated,  first,  by  the  deeply 


640  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

flooded  condition  of  the  country;  second,  by  the  non-appearance 
of  the  three  gun-boats  that  had  gone  up  the  Tennessee  on  their 
brilliantly  successful  expedition;  and  third,  by  the  uncertainty  as 
to  whether  and  to  what  extent  Commodore  Foote,  who  had  gone  to 
Cairo  with  his  new  gun-boats  or  iron-clad  "  turtles"  for  repairs, 
would  cooperate  by  naval  attack  with  the  land  forces.  The  posi- 
tion as  it  then  existed  may  be  briefly  described  as  follows:  At  the 
outer  point  of  an  elbow  or  rounded  right  angle  formed  by  the 
Cumberland  River,  where,  after  running  for  hundreds  of  miles 
westwardly  with  the  evident  design  of  emptying  into  the  Ten- 
nessee at  Fort  Henry,  the  Cumberland  suddenly  changes  its  course 
when  twelve  miles  distant  from  the  latter  river,  and  then  runs  par- 
allel with  it  northward  to  the  Ohio. 

Upon  a  circular,  bluff-faced  eminence  stands  the  town  of 
Dover,  looking  eastwardly  up  the  Cumberland  and  northwardly 
down  that  stream.  Closely  encircling  the  broad  round  eminence 
upon  which  Dover  rests  is  a  marshy  ravine,  opening  out  in  spots 
to  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more  in  width,  and  through  which  two 
small  creeks  rising  in  its  western  part  fall  away  respectively  north 
and  south  across  the  land  side  of  the  town,  both  then  running  east- 
wardly above  and  belo'\Y  it  into  the  river.  An  irregular  ridge, 
shaped  like  a  horse-shoe,  its  ends  touching  the  river,  next  sur- 
rounds the  town.  Outside  this  horse-shoe  ridge  of  hills  there  exist 
marshy  ravines  and  land  overflowed  by  the  creeks.  At  a  point  at 
the  foot  of  this  ridge  or  range,  to  the  southwestward  of  the  town, 
and  about  a  mile  from  the  river,  into  which  it  flows  eastwardly,  is 
Wynn's  Creek,  then  much  swollen.  At  the  same  point  rises  the 
south  fork  of  another  and  much  larger  creek,  called  Indian  Creek, 
which  fork,  running  westwardly  and  then  sweeping  around  to  the 
northward  and  eastward,  empties  easterly  through  Indian  Creek 
into  the  river  below  the  town,  just  as  Wynn's  Creek  empties  above 
Dover,  thus  forming,  as  it  were,  a  second  water-ditch  encircling  the 
town.  Beyond  this,  inland,  is  a  range  of  hills  extending  from  the 
river  all  the  way  around  to  the  upper  part  of  Indian  Creek.    About 


THE   CAPTURE   OE  EORT  DOXELSON.  64 1 

two  and  one-half  miles  from  the  river-elbow,  where  Dover  is 
located,  and  down  the  river  on  its  eastern  bank,  is  the  mouth  of  a 
very  large  creek  known  as  Hickman  Creek,  which  was  so  backed 
up  by  the  high  water  of  the  river,  and  filled  with  the  waters  of 
recent  rains,  as  to  be  impassable  save  by  boats  or  bridges  ;  and 
about  half-way  between  its  mouth  and  the  town  of  Dover  is  the 
mouth  of  Indian  Creek,  also  greatly  swollen  at  that  time.  In 
order  to  properly  appreciate  what  both  nature  and  science  had 
done  for  Fort  Donelson,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  fort, 
which  inclosed  about  one  hundred  acres,  with  its  massive  bas- 
tioned  earth-works,  frowned  from  the  summit  of  the  high  river 
bluffs  which  tower  one  hundred  feet  above  the  Cumberland,  its 
flanks  protected  by  these  swollen  creeks ;  that  the  guns  of  the  fort 
itself,  as  well  as  those  of  the  two  water  batteries  lower  down  the 
bluff  —  some  twenty  heavy  guns  in  all  —  owing  to  a  slight  deflec- 
tion of  its  downward  course,  completely  raked  and  swept  the  river 
as  far  as  they  could  carry  down  the  stream  in  the  direction  whence 
any  attacking  fleet  must  approach.  The  river  defenses  of  Fort 
Donelson  were,  therefore,  very  much  stronger  than*  those  of  Fort 
Henry,  whether  the  number  of  guns  that  could  be  brought  to  bear 
on  the  hostile  fleet,  the  raking  position  they  held,  or  their  greater 
elevation  and  plunging  power  be  considered.  In  fact,  on  the  water 
side  Donelson  may  be  said  to  have  been  almost  impregnable.  Of 
the  land  side  of  the  fort,  where  danger  from  the  coming  attack  was 
to  be  mainly  apprehended,  it  may  be  said  that  some  three  and  a 
half  miles  inland,  and  almost  due  west  from  the  fort,  rise  both  of 
the  two  streams  before  mentioned,  to-wit:  Hickman  and  Indian 
Creeks.  Hickman  Creek  runs  due  north  two  miles,  and  then,  hav- 
ing passed  the  small  house  that  became  General  Grant's  headquar- 
ters, turns  abruptly  and  runs  a  little  south  of  east  into  the  river 
just  below  the  fort.  Indian  Creek,  rising  at  almost  the  same  point, 
runs  due  south  for  over  a  mile,  and  then  as  abruptly  turns  and 
runs  north  of  east  into  the  river  just  above  the  fort.  Between  the 
north  and   south  lines   of  the  upper  waters  of  these  overflowed 


642  MILITAR  V  REMINISCENCES. 

creeks  are  three  successive  hill  ranges,  very  irregular,  full  of  arms 
and  spurs,  yet  preserving  some  general  features  of  parallelism  the 
one  to  the  other,  as  well  as  to  the  convex  land  front  of  the  hill 
crowned  by  the  fort.  Between  these  parallel  hill  ranges  are 
marshy  ravines  or  valleys,  and  through  all  these  marshy  ravines, 
flowing  north  and  south,  are  other  forks  or  feeders  liable  to  be 
flooded,  and  emptying  into  Hickman  and  Indian  Creeks,  respect- 
ively. Here,  then,  was  a  succession  of  defenses  provided  by 
nature,  and  independent  of  the  dense  timber  which  covered  both 
hill  and  ravine. 

But  art  and  military  science  had  hurriedly  completed  the  rebel 
works.  Their  right  and  center  extended  along  the  second  irregu- 
lar ridge  in  front  of  the  fort,  their  flanks,  like  those  of  the  fort, 
protected  by  Hickman  and  Indian  Creeks,  and  the  left  extended 
from  Indian  Creek  along  that  second  hill  range  which  nature  her- 
self has  provided  for  the  defense  of  Dover.  Except  where  broken 
by  Indian  Creek  and  its  south  fork,  the  rebel  line  of  defense  ran 
along  the  selected  ridge,  at  a  mean  distance  of  two  miles  from  the 
river  face,  from  Hickman  Creek  down  to  and  across  Indian  Creek, 
and  then,  crossing  the  south  fork  thereof,  sweeping  around  on  the 
abutting  ridge  to  the  west  and  south  of  Dover  (constituting  the 
south  leg  of  the  horse-shoe  ridge  before  mentioned),  rested  on  the 
river  bank  or  bottom,  between  Wynn's  Creek  and  the  creek  still 
nearer  Dover.  Thus  the  line  of  rebel  works  inclosed  a  space  of 
about  two  and  one-half  miles  broad  by  three  and  one-half  miles  in 
length,  up  the  river  from  Hickman  to  Wynn's  Creek.  Within  this 
inclosed  space  of  some  nine  miles  square  Fort  Donelson  stood 
near  one  end  and  Dover  near  the  other,  and  the  intervening  spaces 
were  filled  with  ridges,  ravines,  creek-forks,  and  hastily  constructed 
road-ways,  in  addition  to  the  regular  roads  w'  led  from  Dover 
to  the  south  or  northwestwardly  toward  Fort  He.  y.  There  was  also 
a  regular  road  running  along  the  entire  line  nside  of  the  rebel 
works.  Secondary  lines  as  well  as  various  det;  ;hed  works  erected 
at  commanding  points  overlooking  the  outer  li.  e  of  defenses  added 


o 


THE   CAPTURE   OF  FORT  DONELSON.  643 

greatly  to  its  strength,  while  the  abattis  formed  of  the  dense  tree- 
growth  was  another  element  of  safety  for  the  fortifications  and 
their  defenders.  The  works  themselves  were  principally  rifle-pit 
intrenchments,  but  at  nine  points  in  the  line  were  batteries  armed 
with  the  artillery  of  eight  field  batteries.  The  entire  number  of 
rebel  guns  on  the  lines  of  works  in  the  main  fortifications  and 
otherwise,  including  the  light  batteries,  was  some  sixty-five  pieces. 
The  outer  line  of  works  followed  the  exterior  face  of  the  ridge 
aforesaid,  thus  dominating  its  slope  of  fifty  to  eighty  feet  depth, 
and  the  broad  forest-covered  creek  bottoms  and  ravines  beyond. 
In  these  miry  depressions  as  well  as  upon  the  outer  ascent  of  the 
ridge  forming  this  defensive  line,  the  dense  brush,  small  oaks,  and 
other  trees,  having  been  slashed  breast-high,  with  the  tops  felled 
toward  an  advancing  enemy  while  the  butts  remained  fixed  to  the 
stumps,  formed  lines  of  rough  abattis,  which,  with  the  tangled 
under-brush,  slippery  hill-side,  and  boggy  creek  beds,  made  the 
difficulties  of  approach  to  these  outer  works  almost  insurmountable, 
especially  as  in  some  parts,  where  the  ravines  widen  into  valleys,  the 
entire  space  was  obstructed  with  this  entangling  abattis.  Further- 
more, the  woods,  and  the  rough,  broken  character  of  the  hills, 
spurs,  and  ravines,  for  a  distance  far  beyond  the  works,  enabled 
field  batteries  to  be  masked,  and  used  to  great  advantage  against 
an  advancing  enemy,  long  before  he  could  reach  the  ridges  that 
faced  the  rebel  intrenched  line.  Securely  and  comfortably  camped 
upon  the  ridges  within  this  line  of  outer  works,  the  rebels  had 
gathered  by  the  night  of  the  12th  of  February  an  army  which, 
comprising  the  original  garrison  of  nearly  four  thousand,  and  aug- 
mented by  the  fugitives  from  Fort  Henry,  together  with  the  sub- 
sequent additions  of  i,S6o  from  Polk's  army  at  Columbus,  Ky., 
and  of  twelve  thousand  under  Floyd,  Pillow,  and  Buckner,  from 
Johnson's  army  at  Bowling  Green  and  points  between  it  and  Fort 
Donelson,  numbered  over  twenty  thousand  men.  Such  was  the 
fort  and  garrison,  commanded  by  three  rebel  brigadier-generals, 


644  MILITAR  V  REMINISCENCES. 

against  which  Brigadier-General  Grant  was  audaciously  moving 
with  fifteen  thousand  men. 

The  time  which  circumstances  had  compelled  him  to  consume 
at  Fort  Henry  before  proceeding  to  march  upon  Fort  Donelson 
had  not  been  lost  by  the  Union  commander.  He  had  reorganized 
his  forces,  besides  making  strenuous  efforts  to  provide  for  aug- 
menting them  from  Cairo  and  elsewhere.  He  had  now  formed  his 
army,  thereafter  to  be  known  during  the  war  as  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee,  into  three  divisions. 

The  First  Division,  under  Brigadier-General  John  A.  McCler- 
nand,  comprising  three  brigades,  to-wit: 

First  Brigade,  Colonel  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  including  five 
infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  The  Eighth  Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel Frank  L.  Rhodes;  Eighteenth  Illinois,  Colonel  Michael  K.  Law- 
ler;  Twenty-ninth  Illinois,  Colonel  James  S=  Reardon;  Thirtieth 
Illinois,  Colonel  P.  B.  Fonke;  and  Thirtj'-first  Illinois,  Colonel 
John  A.  Logan;  and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  two  of  them 
belonging  to  the  Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  two  to  the  regular  army, 
and  four  of  them  independent  Illinois  companies;  and  two  Illinois 
batteries  of  light  artillery,  under  Captains  Schwartz  and  Dresser. 

Second  Brigade,  Colonel  W.  H,  L.  Wallace,  including  four 
infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  The  Eleventh  Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel Thomas  E.  G.  Ransom;  Twentieth  Illinois,  Colonel  C.  Carroll 
Marsh;  Forty-fifth  Illinois,  Colonel  John  E.  Smith;  and  Forty- 
eighth  Illinois,  Colonel  Isham  N.  Haynie;  also  the  Fourth  Regi- 
ment Illinois  Cavalry,  Colonel  T.  Lyle  Dickey;  and  two  Illinois 
batteries  of  light  artillery,  under  Captains  Taylor  and  McAllister. 

Third  Bi'igade,  Colonel  William  R.  Morrison,  including  two 
infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  the  Seventeenth  Illinois,  Colonel 
Leonard  F.  Ross;  and  the  Forty-ninth  Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Phineas  Pease. 

The  Second  Division,  under  Brigadier-General  Charles  F. 
Smith,  comprised  five  brigades,  to-wit: 

First     Brigade,     Colonel    John     McArthur,      including     three 


rilE   CAPTURE   OF  FORT  DONELSON. 


645 


infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  the  Ninth  Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Jesse  J.  Phillips;  Twelfth  Illinois,  Colonel  A.  L.  Chetlain;  and 
Forty-first  Illinois,  Colonel  Isaac  C.  Pugh. 

Second  Brigade,  Colonel  Lewis  Wallace  (left  at  Fort  Henry, 
and  subsequently  merged  into  the  Provisional  or  Third  Division). 

TJiird  Brigade,  Colonel  John  Cook,  including  five  infantry 
regiments,  to-wit:  the  Fifty-second  Indiana,  Colonel  James  M. 
Smith;  Seventh  Illinois,  Colonel  Andrew  J.  Babcock;  Fiftieth  Illi- 
nois, Colonel  Moses  M.  Bayne;  Thirteenth  Missouri,  Colonel  C.  J. 
Wright,  and  Twelfth  Iowa,  Colonel  Joseph  I.  Woods.  Also  three 
Missouri  batteries  of  light  artillery,  under  Captains  Richardson, 
Welker,  and  Stone. 

Fourth  Brigade,  Colonel  Jacob  G.  Lanman,  including  four 
infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  the  Twenty-fifth  Indiana,  Colonel 
James  C.  Veatch;  Second  Iowa,  Colonel  James  M.  Suttle;  Seventh 
Iowa,  Lieutenant-Colonel  James  C.  Parrott;  and  Fourteenth  Iowa, 
Colonel  William  T.  Shaw.     Also  Birge's  sharp-shooters. 

Fifth  Brigade,  Colonel  Morgan  L.  Smith,  including  two 
infantry  regiments,  to-wit :  the  Eighth  Missouri,  Major  John 
McDonald;  the  Eleventh  Indiana,  Colonel  George  F.  McGinnis. 

The  Third  Division,  under  Brigadier-General  Lewis  Wallace, 
comprised  three  brigades,  to-wit: 

First  Brigade,  Colonel  Charles  Cruft,  including  four  infantry 
regiments,  to-wit:  the  Thirty-first  Indiana,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
John  Osborne;  Forty-fourth  Indiana,  Colonel  H.  B.  Reed;  Seven- 
teenth Kentucky,  Colonel  John  H.  McHenry,  Jr.;  Twenty-fifth 
Kentucky,  Colonel  James  M.  Shackelford. 

Second  Brigade  (attached  to  the  Third  Brigade,  under 
Colonel  Thayer),  including  three  infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  the 
Forty-sixth  Illinois,  Colonel  John  A.  Davis;  Fifty-seventh  Illinois, 
Colonel  Cyrus  D.  Baldwin;  and  Fifty-eighth  Illinois,  Colonel  Will- 
iam F.  Lynch. 

Third  Brigade,  Colonel  John  M.  Thayer,  including  four 
infantry  regiments,  to-wit:  the  First  Nebraska,  Lieutenant-Colonel 


646  MILITAR  V  REMINISCENCES. 

William  D.  McCord;  Fifty-eighth  Ohio,  Colonel  Valentine  Bausen- 
wein;  Sixty-eighth  Ohio,  Colonel  Samuel  H.  Steadman;  and  Sev- 
enty-sixth Ohio,  Colonel  William  B.  Woods. 

Also  attached  to  this  division,  but  not  brigaded.  Company  A 
of  the  Thirty-second  Illinois  infantry,  and  Battery  A  of  the  First 
Illinois  Light  Artillery,  Lieutenant  P.  P.  Wood. 

As  early  as  the  seventh,  the  day  after  the  capture  of  Fort 
Henry,  our  cavalr}'-,  fording  the  two  miles  of  heavily  flooded  land 
at  the  rear,  had  advanced  across  the  neck  of  land  between  Forts 
Henry  and  Donelson,  to  reconnoiter  and  feel  the  position  of  the 
enemy.  Scarcely  a  day  had  passed  without  a  brush  between  them 
and  the  enemy  under  Forrest,  or  with  the  rebel  pickets  or  outposts. 
On  the  eleventh  of  February  General  Grant  sent  the  greater  part 
of  General  Lewis  Wallace's  division  down  the  river  on  the  tra-ns- 
ports  to  meet  Foote's  gun-boats,  now  on  the  way  from  Cairo,  with 
instructions  to  follow  them  up  the  Ohio  and  the  Cumberland  to  a 
point  on  its  west  bank  below  the  mouth  of  Hickman  Creek,  where 
they  were  to  land  and  effect  a  junction  with  the  main  body  of  the 
army  before  Donelson,  the  balance  of  the  division  being  detailed 
for  garrison  duty  at  Fort  Henry.  McClernand's  and  Smith's  divis- 
ions were  ordered  to  advance  from  the  swamps  of  Fort  Henry, 
and  camp  for  the  night  on  the  comparatively  dry  ground  beyond. 
The  men  of  the  Union  army  were  in  the  best  possible  spirits. 
Somewhat  chagrined  at  having  reached  Fort  Henry  only  to  find  it 
captured  by  the  naval  forces,  and  by  the  delay  that  had  since  una- 
voidably ensued,  they  burned  for  a  chance  to  show  their  mettle  to 
the  enemy,  and  now  that  they  were  upon  the  eve  of  meeting  him, 
our  boys  joyfully  shouted  and  sang  the  refrain,  *'  On  to  Donelson," 
while  the  elasticity  of  their  swinging  step  showed  the  confident 
and  martial  spirit  that  animated  each  one,  from  their  great  com- 
mander to  the  smallest  drummer-boy.  Night  settled  upon  the 
small  Union  army  in  bivouac.  The  morning  sun  of  Wednesday, 
the  twelfth  of  February,  found  the  tentless  Union  army,  which 
moved   without     transportation    and    depended    solely    upon    the 


THE   CAPTURE   OF  FORT  DONELSON.  647 

knapsack  and  haversack  for  sustenance  and  comfort,  somewhat 
chilled  by  the  inclement  night,  but  disposed  not  to  complain,  in 
view  of  the  glorious  prospect  so  near  ahead.  At  an  early  hour  the 
order  to  advance  was  given,  and  with  exultant  cheers  the  line  of 
march  was  taken  up  on  the  "  Ridge  Road  "  and  on  the  "  Telegraph 
Road "  to  Dover.  To  McClernand's  division  fell  the  honor  of 
leading  the  advance  of  both  columns.  Colonel  Oglesby's  brigade, 
with  its  companies  of  Illinois  light  cavalry,  was  at  the  front,  fol- 
lowed by  its  five  Illinois  infantry  regiments.  Schwartz's  and 
Dresser's  batteries  of  Illinois  light  artillery  led  the  column  on  the 
Ridge  Road,  while  Colonel  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's  brigade,  with  the 
Fourth  Regiment  of  Illinois  cavalry,  was  at  the  front,  followed  by 
its  four  Illinois  infantry  regiments,  and  Taylor's  and  McAllister's 
batteries  of  Illinois  artillery,  heading  the  column  on  the  Telegraph 
or  direct  road.  It  was  about  noon  when  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's 
brigade  came  in  sight  of  Fort  Donelson,  and  found  itself  barred 
by  the  impassable  waters  of  Hickman  Creek  from  nearer  approach 
to  the  outer  rebel  line  of  works,  whose  right  safely  rested  upon 
them.  Turning  to  his  right,  Wallace  marched  his  brigade  up  to 
and  around  the  head  of  the  creek  to  the  Ridge  road,  where,  join- 
ing Oglesby's  brigade,  the  two  columns  united  into  one  and 
repulsed  a  brisk  cavalry  attack  made  by  Forrest,  after  which  the 
column  moved  slowly  southward,  feeling  its  way  toward  Indian 
Creek  and  Dover.  General  Force  has  described  the  incidents  of 
the  afternoon  as  follows:  "The  day  was  spent  feeling  through  the 
thick  woods  and  along  deep  ravines  and  high,  narrow,  winding 
ridges.  At  times  a  distant  glimpse  was  caught  through  some 
opening  of  the  gleam  of  tents  crowning  a  height.  At  times  a  regi- 
ment tearing  its  way  through  blinding  undergrowth  was  startled 
and  cut  by  the  sudden  discharge  from  a  battery  almost  overhead, 
which  it  had  come  upon  unawares.  The  advancing  skirmish  line 
was  in  constant  desultory  conflict  with  the  posted  picket  line. 
Where  an  opening  through  the  timber  permitted,  our  batteries 
occasionally  took  a  temporary  position  and  engaged  those  of  the 


648  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

enemy.  The  afternoon  passed  in  thus  developing  the  fire  of  the 
line  of  works,  feeling  toward  a  position,  and  acquiring  an  idea  of 
the  formation  of  the  ground.  By  night,  Smith's  division  was  in 
line  in  front  of  Buckner,  and  McClernand's  division  had  crossed 
Indian  Creek  and  reached  the  Wynn's  Creek  road.  The  column 
had  marched  without  transportation.  The  men  had  nothing  but 
what  they  carried  in  knapsack  and  haversack.  Shelter  tents  had 
not  yet  come  into  use.  The  danger  of  drawing  the  enemy's  fire 
prevented  the  lighting  of  camp-fires.  The  army  bivouacked  in  line 
of  battle.  The  besieged  resumed  at  night  their  task,  which  had 
been  interrupted  by  the  afternoon  skirmishing,  of  completing  and 
strengthening  their  works," 

The  night  was  chilling,  yet,  weary  with  the  march  across  from 
Fort  Henry  and  the  toilsome  movements  of  the  afternoon  and 
evening,  our  men  slept  soundly  on  their  arms.  Thursday,  the 
thirteenth  day  of  February,  dawned  upon  our  weary  troops,  who, 
hastily  consuming  their  scant  and  uncooked  rations,  began  to 
inquire  if  there  was  any  news  of  the  fleet.  None  having  arrived, 
our  brave  boys  resolutely  turned  their  faces  to  the  enemy  and 
commenced  another  day,  the  second  of  the  siege,  which,  like  the 
previous  afternoon,  was  largely  spent  in  pressing  our  right  forward 
to  the  south  and  east  along  the  Ridge  and  the  Wyman  Creek 
roads,  in  progging  the  enemy  at  various  points  to  keep  him 
employed,  in  attempting  to  uncover  his  line  and  reveal  his 
strength,  as  well  as,  under  the  cover  of  a  heavy  cannonade,  to 
secure  points  of  advantage  for  our  own  more  extended,  and,  there- 
fore, weaker  line  of  investment. 

While  McClernand's  division,  with  Oglesby's  brigade  in  ad- 
vance, still  cautiously  pushed  southward,  Lanman's  brigade  of 
C.  F.  Smith's  division  pressed  directly  forward  to  the  front  until 
opposite  the  extreme  right  of  Buckner's  line,  held  by  the  rebel 
Colonel  Hanson,  when  Veatch's  Twenty-fifth  Indiana  gallantly 
advanced  down  the  outer  ridge,  across  the  slashed  timber  of  the 
creek    bottom,    and   up    the    abattis-protected  slope    of  the    ridge 


TIJE    CAPTURE   OF  EORT  DONELSON.  649 

crowned  by  the  enemy's  works,  under  a  galling  fire  from  above. 
But  it  was  impossible  to  struggle  through  the  tangled  abattis  under 
such  a  fire  as  was  poured  out,  and,  after  maintaining  his  position 
for  two  hours,  Veatch  was  forced  to  retire.  Parrott's  Seventh 
Iowa,  supported  by  Shaw's  Fourteenth  Iowa,  subsequently  ad- 
vanced to  the  left  of  Veatch's  former  position,  protected  by  the  fire 
of  Birge's  sharp-shooters,  but  later  the  regiment  was  withdrawn. 
Meanwhile,  on  Lanman's  immediate  right,  Cook's  brigade  made 
a  demonstration  against  the  enemy's  works  in  front.  Babcock's 
Seventh  Illinois,  on  the  right  of  the  brigade,  woke  a  rebel  battery 
and  retired,  while  the  balance  of  the  brigade  took  a  position  on  a 
ridge  some  fifteen  hundred  feet  from  and  overlooking  the  rebel 
breastworks.  Upon  the  right,  McClernand's  batteries  of  both 
light  and  heavy  artillery  being  served  with  such  effect  as  to  com- 
pletely silence  some  of  the  rebels'  best  served  batteries,  besides 
spreading  consternation  in  the  enemy's  intrenched  camp  by  a  well- 
timed  shower  of  shells,  that  officer  determined  to  carry  the  position 
by  storm.  To  his  Third  Brigade  (Morrison's)  was  assigned  the 
honor  of  the  perilous  assault.  Colonel  Haynie,  of  the  Forty-eighth 
Illinois  (Morrison's  senior),  being  ordered  to  join  him  and  take 
command.  Haynie,  with  Ross'  Seventeenth  Illinois,  and  his  own 
Forty-eighth  Illinois,  was  to  storm  the  right  face  of  the  rebel 
salient,  and  Morrison,  with  his  Forty-ninth  Illinois,  was  to  carry 
its  left  face,  McAllister's  battery  covering  the  assault.  At  the 
word  of  command  the  two  small  columns  advanced  almost  simul- 
taneously, firing  across  the  intervening  timbered  valley,  and  upon 
emerging  from  their  partial  cover  they  attempted  to  scale  the 
opposite  sides  of  the  acclivity.  But  the  steep  slopes  were  tangled 
with  obstructed  timber  and  slashed  abattis.  Our  brave  men  strug- 
gled through  and  over  line  upon  line  of  it,  tearing  through  the 
prickly  boughs  under  a  storm  of  shot  from  Maney's  battery  above, 
and  the  cross-fire  of  rebel  batteries  and  musketry  along  the  rebel 
line  for  hundreds  of  yards  on  either  side;  but  the  fire  at  last  drove 
them  back.     John   E.  Smith's  Forty-fifth  Illinois  advanced  to  sup- 


650 


MI  LI  TAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 


port  the  Forty-ninth.  On  the  double-quick  the  four  spirited  regi- 
ments dashed  forward  again,  when  the  plunging  cannonade  and 
musketry  volleys  from  above,  crossing  with  the  fire  from  battery 
and  rifle-pit  beyond,  once  more  drove  back  our  gallant  boys.  But 
again  they  advanced  with  a  wild  rush  up  the  steep  hillside,  their 
intrepid  commanders  leading,  and  this  time  the  blazing  line  of 
rifle-pits  was  actually  reached  by  part  of  the  command.  But  the  fire 
grew  hotter  and  hotter.  For  half  a  mile  on  either  side  the  rebel 
line  concentrated  its  lateral,  enfilading  artillery  and  infantry  fire 
upon  the  storming  columns,  and  Maney's  battery  belched  grape 
and  cannister  and  shrapnel  into  their  very  faces.  Morrison  was 
wounded.  Our  men,  in  the  teeth  of  this  withering  fire,  failed  to 
scale  the  intrenchments  and  fell  back  in  good  order,  but  leaving 
most  of  their  wounded  on  the  slope.  Suddenly  the  dead  leaves  on 
the  slopes  caught  fire,  and,  blazing  fiercely  for  awhile,  put  an  end 
to  the  sufferings  of  most  of  our  wounded  men,  though  not  before 
some  humane  rebels  were  able  to  drag  a  few  into  their  lines.  The 
rebels  lost  about  one  hundred  killed  and  wounded  during  these 
various  spirited  attacks  upon  their  positions. 

Evening  approached,  and  our  artillery  was  strongly  posted  so 
as  to  command  the  various  roads  leading  away  from  the  rebel 
intrenchments,  and  especially  those  to  the  south.  Our  lines 
extended  from  Hickman's  Creek  along  the  irregular  ridges  which 
surrounded  and  were  almost  parallel  to  the  crescent-shaped  line  of 
the  enemy,  almost  reaching  to  the  bank  of  the  Cumberland  above 
Dover.  Our  men,  hungry  and  cold  —  for  their  rations  were  about 
exhausted,  and  the  weather  had  suddenly  changed  from  that  of 
crisp  spring  to  mid-winter  —  again  laid  down  on  their  arms  in  line  of 
battle,  within  musket  range  of  the  enemy's  line,  v/ithout  camp-fires, 
and  many  of  them  without  covering.  On  Friday,  the  14th  of  Feb- 
ruary, the  gun-boat  Carondelet  had  arrived  at  the  landing,  with  the 
rest  of  the  gun-boats  and  transports  close  behind.  Scarcely  had 
our  poor  fellows  received  their  scant  supply  of  rations  and  am- 
munition,   and     proper    attention     been    paid     to     such     of     the 


THE    CAPTURE    OF  FORT  DONELSON.  6^  j 

wounded  as  had  survived  the  terrible  all-night's  exposure  to  the 
icy  blast  and  pitiless  sleet,  than  the  preliminary  battle  on  the  water 
front  of  Fort  Donclson  began.  Steadily  and  slowly  the  four  great 
iron  "turtles"  advanced,  opening  fire  from  their  twelve  large  bow 
guns  upon  the  water  batteries  mainly,  but  not  neglecting  those 
which  crowned  the  bluffs.  The  lower  water  battery,  whose  thick 
ramparts  of  earth  and  sand-bags  stood  thirty  feet  above  the  water, 
responded  briskly  with  its  nine  thirty-two-pound  guns  and  twenty- 
inch  Columbiad,  while  the  upper  water  battery  of  two  thirty-two- 
pounders  and  one  rifled  one-hundred-and-twenty-eight-pounder, 
and  the  eight  other  heavy  guns,  mounted  on  the  upper  works  of 
the  bluff,  joined  in  the  fierce  fire.  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the 
apparently  invulnerable  floating  steam-forts;  faster  and  faster  flew 
the  missiles  of  destruction  and  death;  louder  and  more  discordant 
grew  the  sounds  of  battle.  The  booming  of  the  guns,,  the  hissing 
of  the  shot,  the  scream  of  the  shell,  and  the  peculiar  harsh,  metal- 
lic thud  which  distinguished  the  impact  of  the  rebel  shot  upon  the 
■coat-of-mail  of  our  Union  iron-clads,  were  heard.  Gallantly  the  lat- 
ter came  on  with  their  twelve  guns,  against  twice  as  many  heavy 
ones,  whose  raking  cross-fire  was  both  plunging  and  direct,  fighting 
bravely  against  heavy  odds,  their  brave  crews  resolved  to  conquer  or 
to  sink.  After  two  hours  of  the  concerted  attack  all  of  our  iron-clads, 
despite  their  iron  coating,  were  badly  hulled,  though  not  disabled 
by  the  plunging  shot.  For  a  time  it  appeared  that  the  fort  must 
fall,  v/hen  a  shot  from  the  lower  water  battery  snapped  the  rudder 
•chains  of  the  Louisville,  and  in  an  instant  she  drifted  helplessly 
down  the  rapid  current  of  the  river.  Almost  at  the  same  moment 
another  rebel  shot  entered  the  pilot-house  of  the  flag-ship  St.  Louis, 
killing  the  pilot,  laming  Commodore  Foote  with  a  falling  timber, 
and  destroying  the  wheel  and  additional  steering-tackle.  The 
whole  rebel  fire  was  then  concentrated  upon  the  Carondelet  and 
-Pittsburg,  which  were  both  already  badly  damaged.  It  seemed 
useless  to  continue  the  fight  under  such  overwhelming  disadvan- 
tages.    The  gallant  flag-officer  signaled  the  vessels  to  retire;  and 


6  =  2  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

thus,  after  a  brilliant  engagement  of  more  than  two  hours,  with  an 
enemy  in  an  elevated  fortified  position  admirably  chosen,  mounting 
many  more  guns  than  his  own  —  or  at  least  able  to  bring  into  action 
nearly  two  guns  to  his  one — our  gun-boat  squadron  was  forced  to 
withdraw,  fairly  riddled  by  the  enemy's  shot.  The  Pittsburg  was 
struck  twenty-one  times,  the  Carondelet  twenty-six  times,  the  Louis- 
ville thirty-five  times,  and  the  St.  Louis  fifty-nine  times,  while  we 
had  lost  fifty-four  men  killed  and  wounded. 

But  this  brilliant  naval  attack,  though  not  a  success,  was  far 
from  a  failure.  It  created  a  diversion  in  favor  of  Grant's  army 
that  led  to  eventual  success.  It  covered  the  debarkation,  three 
miles  below  and  out  of  sight,  of  large  and  constantly  arriving 
Union  reinforcements,  and  their  junction  with  others  at  the  front, 
and  kept  the  rebels  so  busy  that  Grant  had  ample  time  to  strengthen 
and  extend  his  investing  line  and  bring  up  more  supplies  of  am- 
munition. The  coming  of  evening  found  his  forces  swollen  to 
22,000  men  in  three  divisions  —  that  of  C.  F.  Smith  at  his  left,  that 
of  Lew.  Wallace  filling  the  gap  in  the  center,  and  that  of  McCler- 
nand  at  the  right.  But  in  order  to  push  our  investing  line  more 
closely  to  the  right,  McArthur's  brigade  of  Smith's  division  was 
sent  from  our  left  to  the  rear  and  around  to  our  extreme  right, 
where  it  subsequently  came  into  line,  having  on  its  left  Oglesby's 
brigade,  which  in  turn  had  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's  brigade  on  its  left. 
The  day  had  been  more  or  less  occupied  in  digging  rifle-pits  and 
throwing  up  wide  intrenchments,  and  properly  posting  and  pro- 
tecting our  batteries  with  earth-works.  Night  came  none  too  soon 
for  our  worn  soldiers,  but  with  it  again  came  the  heavy  downfall 
of  drifting  snow  and  cutting  sleet. 

At  this  early  period  of  the  war,  when  army  purveyors  and 
quartermasters  neither  understood  the  necessities  of  troops  nor 
how  to  meet  and  supply  them,  the  life  of  the  soldier,  always  hard 
enough,  was  at  its  hardest.  But  exceptionally  hard  was  the  experi- 
ence of  our  poor  fellows  at  Donelson.  Heavy  rains,  pelting  hail- 
storms, driving  sleet,  piercing  blasts,  and  pitiless  snow  had  attacked 


THE    CAPTURE    OF  FORT  DONELSON. 


653 


them  by  turns.  They  had  been  forced  to  struggle  through  almost 
impassable  mud.  They  had  been  without  blankets  and  without 
overcoats.  Their  rations  had  been  exhausted,  yet  much  of  the 
time,  when  shivering,  freezing,  and  benumbed,  they  had  been  under 
fire,  even  during  the  bitter  cold  watches  of  the  night.  The  arrival 
of  the  transports  in  the  early  morning  had  staved  off  further  hun- 
ger, but,  half-starved  as  they  had  been,  the  poor  fellows  were  raven- 
ously hungry  and  the  supplies  were  far  from,  adequate.  So,  too,  in 
the  matter  of  ammunition.  There  had  been  some  improvidence  in 
its  use,  and  the  supply  was  not  sufficient  to  make  up  for  the  waste 
of  which  ra-w  troops  are  always  more  or  less  guilty.  Wholly  fagged 
out,  hungry,  and  freezing,  our  men  lay  sleeping,  unsheltered^ 
through  the  sleeting  night. 

General  Floyd  had  called  a  council  of  war.  It  was  unanimously 
decided  by  the  rebel  officers  to  make  a  sortie,  to  cut  their  way  out,. 
and  then  retreat  southwardly  to  Charlotte,  half-way  between  Dover 
and  Nashville.  Failing  to  do  this,  they  realized  that  Grant,  who- 
already  had  them  almost  completely  invested  on  the  land  side, 
would  soon  erect  works  commanding  the  Cumberland  above  Dover 
and  thus  cut  them  off  from  supply  or  retreat,  by  way  of  the  river, 
when  capitulation  would  be  a  simple  matter  of  time.  The  sortie 
was  to  have  been  made  on  Friday,  the  14th,  in  the  afternoon, 
after  the  repulse  of  the  Union  gun-boats,  and  the  movement  had 
already  commenced  when  the  order  was  countermanded  and  the 
attack  postponed  until  the  early  dawn  of  Saturday,  the  15th.  The 
delay  proved  fatal  to  the  enemy's  plan,  as  it  not  only  enabled  Grant 
to  make  the  admirable  disposition  of  his  troops  and  reinforcements 
already  noticed,  but  also  gave  time  for  the  arrival  and  debarkatioi . 
during  the  night  and  early  morning  of  still  more  fresh  Union  troops 
and  supplies. 

Twelve  thousand  rebel  infantry,  under  Pillow,  were  astir  at 
five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Two  thousand  rebel  cavalry,  under 
Forrest,  were  stealing  away  through  the  overflowed  marshes  of  the 
river,  near  its  bank,  bound  toward  the  south  and  rear  of  the  Union 


654  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

right,  while  Buckner,  with  six  thousand  more,  occupied  the  works 
near  the  junction  of  our  right  and  center.  Pillow's  column,  in 
light  marching  order  with  three  days'  rations,  formed  on  open 
ground  back  of  his  trenches  on  his  own  extreme  left,  and  filed  out 
of  his  works  along  a  road-way  which  crossed  the  valley  between 
the  hostile  lines  and  led  up  the  slope  to  the  Union  right.  McAr- 
thur,  who  had  come  up  the  previous  night,  when  darkness  pre- 
vented him  from  knowing  exactly  where  he  was,  moved  into  posi- 
tion, and  formed  his  brigade  in  line  of  battle  on  the  right  of 
Oglesby's  brigade.  Pillow's  line  advanced  to  assault  the  position 
of  Oglesby  and  McArthur  on  the  ridge,  but  was  driven  back  by 
their  destructive  fire.  Advance  after  advance  was  pluckily  made 
with  the  same  result.  The  enemy  was  invariably  repulsed  by  our 
brave  boys.  At  last  the  enemy  attempted  a  new  maneuver.  His 
long  front  not  only  covered  the  fronts  of  Oglesby's  and  McAr- 
thur's  brigades,  but  by  reason  of  superior  numbers  extended  much 
farther  to  his  own  left  toward  the  river  bank.  Informed  of  the 
existence  of  a  depression  or  ravine  running  parallel  with  the  river 
and  between  it  and  the  Union  right  flank,  he  marched  the  super- 
fluous left  of  his  column  through  it,  unseen  by  the  Union  troops, 
changed  its  front  to  the  right,  and  advanced  at  right  angles  to  the 
Union  line  of  battle  up  the  ridge,  firing  upon  McArthur's  front 
and  rear,  while  the  remainder  of  his  column  assaulted  our  front. 
Thus  overwhelmingly  flanked  and  taken  both  in  front  and  reverse, 
McArthur's  brigade,  running  short  of  ammunition,  fell  back  upon 
Oglesby's  brigade,  which  had  been  McClernand's  center.  Pillow 
still  advanced  steadily  and  surely,  rolling  back  McArthur's  regi- 
ments until  he  struck  Oglesby's  right.  Buckner  sallied  forth, 
under  cover  of  the  concentrated  fire  of  Porter's,  Maney's,  and 
Graves'  batteries,  and  with  his  six  thousand  men  advanced  across 
the  valley  to  attack  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's  brigade,  McClernand's 
left,  but  was  driven  back  in  confusion  by  the  difficulties  of 
approach  offered  by  the  slippery  and  frosted  earth,  the  ice-crusted 
and    snow-covered    abattis-boughs,  the   deadly  discharge  of    the 


THE    CAPTURE   OF  FORT  DONELSON.  655 

Union  musketry,  and  the  well-served  fire  of  the  Union  batteries. 
Pillow  pressed  forward,  however,  enveloping  Oglesby's  front,  flank, 
and  rear.  With  desperate  courage  the  men  of  this  Union  brigade, 
as  also  of  the  others,  resisted  the  odds  against  them  of  numbers 
and  position.  The  language  of  Pillow  himself,  touching  the  con- 
duct of  our  Union  boys  in  this  sanguinary  conflict,  was:  "  They  did 
not  retreat,  but  fell  back  fighting  and  contesting  every  inch  of  the 
ground." 

Hour  after  hour  passed,  and  still  the  battle  raged.  The  Ninth, 
the  Twelfth,  and  the  Forty-first  Illinois  regiments,  comprising  Mc- 
Arthur's  brigade,  as  has  been  seen,  had  long  since  retired  for  more 
ammunition.  The  Eighth,  the  Eighteenth,  the  Twenty-ninth,  and 
the  Thirtieth,  one  after  the  other,  were  forced  back  by  the  terrible 
cross-fire  of  the  enemy,  when  the  last  regiment  of  the  brigade  — 
the  Thirty-first  Illinois  —  was  almost  reached.  Then  occurred, 
perhaps,  the  most  critical  moment  of  the  battle.  W.  H.  L.  Wal- 
lace's brigade,  having  repulsed  Buckner's  attack,  still  stood  on  the 
left  of  McClernand's  division  line,  while  his  right  and  center,  all 
except  the  Thirty-first  Illinois  and  Schwartz's  battery,  were  swept 
back  beyond  the  hope  of  recovery.  At  that  moment  a  maneuver 
was  executed  which  for  a  time  held  the  enemy  in  check.  The 
Eleventh  Illinois  was  on  the  right  of  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's  brigade. 
The  Thirty-first  Illinois  —  the  remnant  of  Oglesby's  brigade  —  was 
on  the  right  of  the  Eleventh  Illinois.  By  suddenly  throwing  back 
the  right  of  the  Thirty-first  on  its  center,  at  right  angles  to  its 
left,  Schwartz's  battery  was  supported,  and  at  the  same  time  a 
front  was  presented  to  the  enemy's  flanking  advance,  while  the 
rear  of  the  Eleventh,  as  well  as  its  own  rear,  was  protected  from 
the  enemy's  reverse  fire.  At  the  very  instant  of  making  this  rapid 
movement,  the  Thirty-first  Illinois  received  the  full  shock  of  the 
advance  of  Pillow,  as  well  as  that  of  Buckner,  who  had  been 
ordered  by  Pillow  to  renew  his  assault  upon  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's 
brigade;  but  upon  that  regiment  also  presenting  a  wedge-like 
double  face  to  the  combined  attack  of  the  enemy,  it  was  able  to 


656  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

protect  the  well-served  battery,  as  also  the  right  of  Wallace's  bri- 
gade, for  a  considerable  period.  Four  hours  had  now  elapsed  since 
the  battle  opened,  and  still  W.  H.  L.  Wallace's  brigade,  covered 
by  the  Thirty-first  Illinois,  and  aided  by  the  batteries  of  Schwartz, 
Taylor,  and  McAllister,  now  fast  running  out  of  ammunition, 
heroically  maintained  this  unequal  contest  against  the  combined 
attacks  of  the  infantry  divisions  of  Pillow  and  Buckner,  sup- 
ported by  the  fire  of  the  three  rebel  batteries  at  Heiman's  salient, 
while  Forrest's  cavalry,  two  thousand  strong,  hovered  in  the  Union 
rear.  There  were  less  than  three  thousand  Union  troops,  weak 
with  hunger  and  exposure,  against  twenty  thousand  well-fed 
rebels.  The  disadvantages,  including  those  of  position,  were  much 
too  great.  It  was  impossible  to  win  against  such  odds,  yet  assault 
after  assault  was  met  and  hurled  back  by  the  deadly  fire  of  our 
determined  troops,  who  thus  gained  time,  which  was  a  help  to  us 
and  a  loss  to  the  enemy.  Meanwhile  McClernand  had  begged  help 
from  Lewis  Wallace,  who  commanded  the  Third  Division  of  the 
Union  army,  which  formed  the  center  of  the  entire  original  Union 
line.  But  Grant  was  not  present,  and  Lewis  Wallace  doubted  his 
authority  to  proceed  without  further  orders  from  headquarters,  as 
he  had  been  ordered  to  act  on  the  defensive,  and  no  one  of  Grant's 
staff,  although  both  McPherson  and  Rawlins  were  upon  it,  was 
willing  to  assume  the  responsibility  asked  for.  The  moment 
arrived,  however,  when  Lewis  Wallace,  seeing  the  critical  condi- 
tion of  affairs,  determined  to  take  the  responsibility,  and  sent  one 
of  his  two  brigades  —  that  of  Cruft  —  embracing  the  Thirty-first 
and  Forty-fourth  Indiana,  and  the  Seventeenth  and  Twenty-fifth 
Kentucky  Regiments,  to  McClernand's  support.  Cruft  went  into 
line  of  battle  on  the  right  of  the  Thirty-first  Illinois,  which,  true 
to  an  agreement  between  its  Colonel  and  Colonel  Ransom,  of  the 
Eleventh  Illinois,  to  stand  by  one  another,  was  still  tenacio^asly 
"standing  by"  the  Eleventh,  which  latter,  failing  to  receive  W.  H. 
L.  Wallace's  order  to  the  brigade  to  fall  back,  also  stuck  by  the 


THE   CAPTURE   OE  EOKT  DONELSON.  657 

Thirty-first  Illinois.  These  two  slim  regiments  alone  fought  dur- 
ing s  brief  interval  the  whole  rebel  iirmy. 

At  last  Cruft  came  up  on  the  double-quick.  It  was  then  that 
the  Thirty-first  Illinois,  having  fired  its  last  remaining  round  of 
ammunition,  was  withdrawn,  "marching  steadily  from  the  field," 
but  only  after  the  lieutenant-colonel  (White),  the  senior  captain,  and 
thirty  of  the  men  had  been  killed,  nearly  three  hundred  of  the 
latter  wounded,  and  I,  too,  had  been  wounded  in  two  places. 

The  Eleventh  Illinois,  which  still  had  ammunition,  having 
been  engaged  less  time  than  the  Thirty-first,  gallantly  essayed  to 
continue  the  unequal  contest,  but,  unable  to  stand  its  ground,  fell 
back  in  disorder  under  pressure  of  a  rebel  cavalry  charge,  while 
Cruft's  brigade  also  retired  half  a  mile,  upon  the  new  line  of  Lew. 
Wallace's  division, 

Lew.  Wallace  had  in  the  interval,  since  sending  Cruft's  brigade 
to  McClernand's  support,  formed  his  remaining  brigade  —  a  strong 
one  of  seven  regiments,  being  two  brigades  in  one  under  Colonel 
Thayer  —  into  line  of  battle,  on  a  cross-spur  of  the  range  and  at 
right  angles  to  the  line  which  he  had  previously  occupied.  This 
new  line  now  faced  the  victorious  enemy,  who,  having  rolled  back 
the  Union  right  upon  its  center,  according  to  the  original  plan  of 
Floyd,  now  rested  in  weariness  and  exhaustion  upon  the  ground 
from  which  at  great  cost  McClernand  had  been  driven. 

Behind  Lew,  Wallace's  new  front  of  fresh  troops  McClernand's 
fagged-out  brigades  were  re-formed,  and  supplied  with  ammunition 
-with  which  to  renew  the  stubborn  and  bloody  contest.  Cruft's 
brigade  then  rested  on  the  right  of  Thayer's  brigade,  which  had 
been  rapidly  deployed,  formed  in  line  of  battle  at  right  angles  to 
its  former  line,  and  was  resolutely  facing  our  former  right. 

The  Union  center,  having  changed  front,  with  its  fresh  troops 
was  in  condition  to  renew  the  battle.  McClernand's  division 
was  re-formed  behind  Lew.  Wallace's  battle  line,  and  after  being 
supplied  with  cartridges  was  anxious  again  to  meet  the  enemy. 

When  the  victorious  rebel  troops  advanced  upon  Lew.  Wallace 


658  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

the  new  programme  failed,  and  instead  of  the  Union  forces  giving- 
way  they  themselves  were  driven  back  in  disorder,  the  First  Ne- 
braska especially  distinguishing  itself  in  the  repulse.  Again  the 
rebel  troops  advanced,  and  again  they  quailed  and  were  driven 
back  in  confusion  by  the  withering  fire  of  the  Union  musketry  and 
artillery.  A  third  time  they  came,  only  to  be  hurled  back  by  the 
rain  of  Union  grape,  cannister,  and  minie  balls. 

The  enemy  for  a  while  seemed  paralyzed.  Then  Buckner  com- 
menced to  reenter  his  trenches  while  Pillow  stood  hesitating. 

General  Grant,  having  been  in  consultation  with  Admiral  Foote 
upon  his  flag-ship,  had  received  no  information  of  the  impending 
disaster,  but  Captain  Hellyer,  one  of  the  aides,  galloped  up  and 
informed  the  commanding  General  that  the  enemy  had  attacked 
and  driven  back  his  right  shortly  after  daybreak.  General  Grant 
ordered  C.  F.  Smith  to  prepare  for  an  assault  with  his  division 
upon  the  rebel  right,  and  then  galloped  on.  By  the  time  he  reached 
Lew.  Wallace,  whose  troops  had  checked  the  enemy,  there  was  a 
lull  in  the  battle.  He  was  told  that  the  rebel  troops  had  with  them 
their  knapsacks  and  haversacks.  Upon  learning  this  he  at  once 
made  up  his  mind  that  the  enemy  had  advanced  from  their  works 
in  order  to  cut  their  way  out.  It  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  when  General  Grant  ordered  a  forward  move  upon  the 
enemy. 

A  little  later  Wallace's  command  advanced  to  carry  the  posi- 
tion. Colonel  Morgan  L.  Smith's  Fifth  Brigade,  comprising  the 
Eighth  Missouri  and  Eleventh  Indiana,  which  Lew,  Wallace  had 
brought  with  him  from  garrison  duty  at  Fort  Henry ;  Cruft's 
Brigade ;  the  Third  Brigade  of  McClernand's  Division  (the  Seven- 
teenth and  Forty-ninth  Illinois),  now  commanded  by  Colonel  Leon- 
ard F.  Ross,  being  in  support  and  reserve,  made  up  the  storming 
party. 

The  enemy,  fearing  a  more  general  attack,  retired  slowly  and 
unwillingly  within  his  trenches,  our  brave  boys  driving  them  over 
the  rough,  thickly-wooded  hills  until  after  five  o'clock,  when  Wal- 


THE    CAPTURE    OF  FORT  DONELSON  659 

lace,  having  reached  a  spot  within  four  hundred  feet  of  and  over- 
looking the  rebel  trenches,  halted  and  posted  his  picket  line,  he  and 
McClernand  together  having  by  this  time  recaptured  from  the  now 
weary  and  dispirited  foe  the  six  pieces  of  artillery  which,  with 
thousands  of  small  arms  and  hundreds  of  prisoners,  had  earlier  in 
the  day  been  lost  by  us,  and  having  also  resumed  possession  of  the 
ground  from  which  McClernand  had  been  driven.  On  our  extreme 
left  was  Cook's  brigade  of  C.  F.  Smith's  division,  then  opposite 
the  extreme  right  of  the  enemy's  works.  Under  cover  of  the  fire 
from  the  batteries  of  Richardson,  Welker,  and  Stone  (commanded 
by  Major  Cavender),  the  Seventh  and  Fiftieth  Illinois,  Twelfth  Iowa, 
and  Thirteenth  Missouri,  comprising  the  main  strength  of  that 
brigade,  were  maneuvering  and  threatening  him  without  intending- 
a  serious  attack. 

On  the  right  of  Cook's  position  was  Lanman's  brigade,  to 
which  the  Fifty-second  Indiana  had  been  temporarily  attached. 
General  C.  F.  Smith  himself,  a  gallant  gray-haired  veteran  of  the 
regular  army,  who  had  been  the  commandant  at  West  Point  during 
Grant's  cadetship  at  the  Military  Academy,  was  with  Lanman's 
brigade.  He  had  arranged  that,  while  Cook's  brigade  was  making 
a  demonstration  against  the  enemy's  extreme  right,  he  himself 
would  in  person  take  Lanman's  brigade  and  make  the  real  assault 
upon  the  enemy's  works  at  its  front.  Smith  then  ordered  the 
advance  to  sound .  Instantly  the  forward  movement  commenced 
under  Grant's  own  eye.  With  Birge's  sharp-shooters  deployed  on 
either  flank  as  skirmishers,  the  storming  column,  with  quick,  deter- 
mined step,  moved  silently  and  steadily  down  the  ridge-side  to  the 
valley. 

Up  the  steep  slope  pressed  the  assaulting  column  with  fixed 
bayonets,  the  white-headed  old  General  electrifying  his  dauntless 
men  with  waving  hat  and  burning  words,  as  he  rode  erect  and 
fearless  at  their  head,  undisturbed  and  untouched  by  the  storm  of 
leaden  hail  which  decimated  their  ranks  —  up  the  acclivity,  steadily 
despite  the  deadly  fire,  through  and  over  every  obstruction,  firmly. 


66o  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

indomitably,  resistlessly,  up  to  the  very  mouths  of  the  belchinc: 
rebel  artillery  and  muskets,  at  the  very  crest  of  the  trenches,  and 
then  with  a  wild  hurrah  over  into  the  enemy's  works  at  last. 

The  advance  of  our  victorious  storming  columns  formed  into 

line,  still  driving  the  rebel  Tennesseeans  before  them,  when  Buck- 

ner,    with    Hanson's    rebel    regiment,    returning    from    the    sortie 

.  against  our  right  wing,  reached  that  part  of  the  rebel  works.     But 

they  were  too  late  —  the  rebel  intrenchments  had  been  carried. 

At  last  night  fell  upon  the  scene.  Buckner  still  held  the  sec- 
ond or  inner  ridge,  and  was  busy  throwing  up  intrenchments.  C. 
F.  Smith  held  the  elevated  rebel  works,  the  "key"  to  Fort  Donel- 
son,  which  he  had  stormed,  and  was  now  strengthening  for  attack. 
Wallace  was  in  possession  of  another  commanding  point,  just  out- 
side the  rebel  works  at  the  center.  McClernand  had  re-occupied 
all  his  old  line,  and  pushed  it  nearly  to  the  river.  Such  was  the  sit- 
uation at  night-fall. 

Sunday,  the  i6th  of  February,  was  faintly  dawning,  and  prep- 
arations were  making  along  the  Union  line  to  renew  the  assault 
upon  the  enemy's  position,  when  the  men  on  our  advanced  left  — 
Lanman's  brigade  —  heard  the  clear  notes  of  a  bugle,  and  observed 
a  flag  of  truce  approaching  from  Fort  Donelson.  It  accompanied 
an  officer  sent  by  Buckner  as  bearer  of  his  letter  to  Grant.  Direct- 
ing their  eyes  toward  the  enemy's  position,  our  brave  boys  saw 
with  bounding  hearts  the  white  flag  flying  from  the  fort  itself,  and 
soon  it  was  rumored  along  the  whole  Union  line  that  the  enemy 
was  asking  terms  of  capitulation. 

By  the  surrender  of  Fort  Donelson  there  fell  into  our  hands, 
besides  that  stronghold,  the  men  and  material  of  the  whole  oppos- 
ing army,  save  the  6,500  escaped  and  killed  or  wounded,  to  wit: 
14,623  men,  sixty-five  cannon,  and  17,600  small  arms;  besides 
vast  stores  of  supplies  of  all  sorts,  all  of  which  had  been  gained 
at  a  loss  to  the  Union  side  of  3,329  men  in  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing.  The  Confederate  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  was  at 
the  least  2,500. 


*'THE  SIEGE  OE  CO  KEN  Til ."  66 1 


"  The  Siege  of  Corinth." 

It  was  three  days  after  the  battle  of  Pittsburgh  Landing  that, 
recovered  from  wounds  received  at  Donelson,  I  reached  Pittsburgh 
Landing  and  reported,  having  in  the  meantime  been  promoted  lo 
be  a  Brigadier-General,  upon  the  especial  recommendation  of 
General  Grant,  for  "meritorious  services,"^ 

On  the  19th  of  April  I  was  assigned  to,  and  took  command  of 
the  First  Brigade  of  McClernand's  First  Division  Reserve  Corps, 
which  brigade  comprised  the  Eighth,  Eighteenth,  Thirtieth, 
and  Thirty-first  Illinois  (my  old  regiment),  and  the  Twelfth 
Michigan. 

Meanwhile  General  Halleck  had  reached  Pittsburgh  Landing, 
and  in  person  had  assumed  the  chief  command.  He  fixed  his 
headquarters  at  the  bluff  near  the  landing.  Savannah  was  devoted 
mainly  to  hospital  purposes. 

During  the  ensuing  two  months  General  Grant  was  entirely 
ignored  in  all  of  the  military  operations  against  Corinth.  This 
was  due,  in  part,  to  an  unreasoning  and  senseless  clamor  against 
him,  founded  upon  exaggeration  and  falsehood,  and  inspired  and 

^  The  following  is  a  copy  of  General  Grant's  official  recommendation. — C.  A.  L. 

"  Headquarters  District  West  Tennessee, 
"  Fort  Henry,  March  14,  1862. 
"  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War,   Washington,  D.  C.  : 

"  I  have  been  waiting  for  reports  of  sub-commanders  at  the  battle  of  Fort 
Donelson  to  make  some  recommendation  of  officers  for  advancement  for  meri- 
torious services.  These  reports  are  not  yet  in,  and,  as  the  troops  under  my  com- 
mand are  actively  engaged,  may  not  be  for  some  time.  I  therefore  take  this 
occasion  to  make  some  recommendations  of  officers  who  in  my  opinion  should  not 
be  neglected.  I  would  particularly  mention  the  names  of  Colonel  J.  D.  Webster, 
First  Illinois  Artillery;  Morgan  L.  Smith,  Eighth  Missouri  Volunteers;  W.  H.  L. 
Wallace,  Eleventh  Illinois  Volunteers;  and  John  A.  Logan,  Thirty-first  Illinois 
Volunteers.  The  two  latter  are  from  civil  pursuits,  but  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
fulh'^  indorsing  them  as  in  every  way  qualified  for  the  position  of  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral, and  think  they  have  fully  earned  the  position  on  the  field  of  battle.  There 
are  others  who  may  be  equally  meritorious,  but  I  do  not  happen  to  know  so  well 
their  services.  U.  S.  Grant,  Major-General." 


662  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

fed  by  an  envy  which  sought  to  remove  him  from  command 
entirely.  The  splendor  of  his  achievements  at  Belmont,  at  Donel- 
son,  and  at  Pittsburgh  Landing  was  temporarily  obscured.  He 
was  again  "  under  a  cloud,"  but  it  was  the  last  that  was  to  hang 
over  and  depress  his  martial  spirit  during  the  continuance  of  the 
war. 

He  still  commanded  the  District  of  West  Tennessee,  but  his 
old  army,  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  was  his  only  in  name. 

He  was  appointed  "  second  in  command  "  of  Halleck's  grand 
army,  and  thus  it  was  that  in  the  advance  upon  Corinth  Halleck. 
managed  to  wreak  his  pitiful  spite  against  him. 

This  advance  was,  perhaps,  the  most  ludicrous  feature  of  the 
whole  war.  From  an  inexcusable  lack  of  caution  we  fell  into  the 
other  extreme,  and  became  recklessly  over-cautious.  Halleck  had 
here  an  opportunity,  which  he  improved  to  the  fullest  extent,  of 
proving  that  the  stock  of  caution  stored  in  his  own  person  more 
than  equaled  any  lack  of  it  existing  in  the  combined  Union  armies 
of  the  West.  Although  it  was  little  more  than  twenty  miles  from 
Pittsburgh  Landing  to  Corinth,  yet  every  step  of  the  slow  advance 
of  the  great  Union  army  of  120,000  men,  which  he  had  gathered  at 
the  former  point  and  thereabouts  —  an  advance  which  consumed 
no  less  than  six  weeks,  being  equivalent  to  about  half  a  mile  per 
day  throughout  —  was  punctuated  and  underscored  with  intrench- 
ments.  It  was  so  much  like  the  slow  and  methodical-looking  push- 
ing forward  of  line  after  line  of  parallels  in  a  regular  set  siege,  that, 
in  order  to  disarm  hostile  criticism  and  ridicule,  Halleck  himself 
termed  it  "  the  Siege  of  Corinth."  And  this  worm-like  movement, 
this  slow,  fortified  advance,  was  made  by  an  army  that  numbered 
two  to  one  of  the  enemy  against  whom  it  was  approaching.  No 
wonder  the  Union  officers  and  men  were  alike  restive  under  such  a 
condition  of  things. 

It  was  late  in  April  before  Halleck's  combined  armies  com- 
menced this  tedious  advance.  On  the  23d  of  that  month  the  long- 
wished-for  marching  orders  came. 


' '  THE  SIR  GE  OF  COR  IN  TIL  "  663 

On  the  morning  of  tlie  24th  my  brigade,  carrying  all  camp  and 
garrison  equipage,  after  constructing  a  road  across  a  branch  of 
Owl  Creek,  moved  forward  two  miles  and  went  into  camp  at 
"  Camp  Stanton,"  where  we  constructed  the  first  field  fortification, 
comprising  enfilading  rifle-pits  and  lunettes. 

On  the  26th  I  sent  Colonel  Lawler,  of  the  Eighteenth  Illinois, 
with  six  regiments  of  infantry,  three  companies  of  cavalry,  and  one 
section  of  artillery,  to  reconnoiter  in  front  and  to  the  left  of  our 
position,  in  the  direction  of  Monterey  (Pea  Ridge),  and  to  feel  the 
enemy.  But  while  on  the  march  executing  his  instructions  Lawler 
was  halted  and  sent  back  to  camp  by  an  order  from  headquarters 
of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 

On  the  30th  my  command,  with  the  rest  of  the  First  Division 
of  the  Reserve  Corps,  again  moved  forward  some  three  miles 
toward  Monterey,  where  the  division  went  into  camp,  its  left  rest- 
ing on  the  Monterey  road,  some  nine  miles  distant  from  that  place, 
my  brigade  being  on  the  right  of  the  division.  Here  we  were 
engaged  for  several  days  in  repairing  and  constructing  roads  from 
this  camp  back  toward  Pittsburgh  Landing. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  McClernand,  being  assigned  to  the  command 
of  the  Reserve  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  assigned  me 
by  seniority  of  rank  to  the  command  of  the  Third  (late  First) 
Division.  On  the  following  day,  however,  Brigadier-General  H. 
M.  Judah  was  assigned  by  special  field  orders  from  the  department 
headquarters  to  the  command  of  the  division,  and  I  subsequently 
assumed  command  of  my  brigade  at  Camp  No.  4,  on  the  south 
bank  of  Lick  Creek,  on  the  main  Corinth  road,  one  mile  to  the  rear 
of  Monterey.  The  construction  of  bridges  and  roads  now  con- 
sumed several  days,  during  which  frequent  cavalry  reconnoissances 
were  made. 

On  the  nth  of  May  the  division  moved  forward  and  occupied 
a  camp  lately  occupied  by  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  at  the  crossing 
of  the  old  State  line  with  the  Purdy  and  Farmington  road.  We 
completed  the  fortifications  commenced  at   this  camp  by  General 


664  MILITAR  V  REMINISCENCES. 

Sherman,  constructed  additional  rifle-pits,  and  made  frequent 
reconnoissances,.  which  met  and  almost  invariably  drove  in  the 
enemies'  pickets. 

From  this  camp  two  companies  of  the  Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry, 
with  Dollin's,  and  O'Harnett's,  and  Carmichael's  Independent  Com- 
panies of  Cavalry,  all  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Wm.  McCulloch,  made  a  reconnoissance  toward  and  beyond  Purdy, 
destroyed  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad  bridge  across  Cypress 
Creek,  five  miles  south  of  Bethel,  captured  a  locomotive  with  four 
men  on  it,  placed  the  men  under  guard,  and  ran  the  engine  into  the 
creek,  thus  destroying  it.  Subsequently,  the  rebels  being  discov- 
ered drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  our  force  advanced,  giving  them  a 
volley  which  broke  their  lines.  They  scattered  in  all  directions, 
continuing,  however,  to  fire  from  cover  of  the  trees.  McCulloch's 
dismounted  cavalry,  deployed  as  skirmishers,  advanced,  the  enemy 
still  slowly  retreating  and  firing,  until,  our  men  gaining  on  them, 
the  rebels  turned  and  fled  in  rout  through  Purdy,  dispersing  in  all 
directions.  The  cavalry  again  mounted,  charged  through  the 
town,  and,  advancing  to  the  bridge  aforesaid,  destroyed  it,  and  re- 
turned to  the  camp  without  loss. 

With  the  object  of  driving  the  enemy  beyond  and  destroying 
the  track  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  my  brigade,  with  that  of 
General  Ross  in  advance,  accompanied  by  a  battery  of  eight  guns 
and  a  battalion  of  the  Fourth  Illinois  Cavalry,  moved  from  the 
camp  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  marched  seven  miles,  drove 
in  the  enemy's  pickets,  destroyed  the  road,  and  were  back  in  camp 
again  by  ten  o'clock  a.  m.  On  the  21st  of  May  my  command  again 
advanced,  with  all  camp  and  garrison  equipage,  to  the  position 
vacated  that  day  by  Major-General  Sherman,  near  Easel's  house, 
on  the  road  to  Corinth.  On  the  28th,  at  half-past  one  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  orders  reached  me  to  move  up  the  First  Brigade, 
without  camp  equipage  or  transportation,  to  the  extreme  right  of 
General  Sherman's  division,  by  or  before  eight  o'clock  a.m.,  with 
instructions  to  assist  in  driving  the  rebels  from  a  loop-holed  block- 


"THE  SIEGE  OF  CORINTH"  665 

house  on  Sherman's  right  front;  also  in  driving  back  their  pickets 
and  making  a  strong  demonstration  against  or  feint  of  attacking 
Corinth.  General  Ross'  brigade  was  at  the  same  time  ordered  to 
and  came  up  in  my  rear.  Through  some  misdirection  we  advanced 
too  far  to  the  right,  and  approached  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad 
at  Boey's  Cut.  The  rebel  pickets  were  in  sight  at  a  house  on  the 
hill  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  They  retired,  and  we  occu- 
pied the  position.  Subsequently,  General  Ross'  brigade  occupied 
this  position,  where  fortifications  were  thrown  up  under  the  di- 
rection of  Brigadier-General  Judah,  and  my  brigade  reached  the 
position  assigned  to  it  on  the  right  of  General  Sherman,  my  left 
resting  on  the  right  of  General  Denver's  brigade  and  my  right  rest- 
ing on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad. 

Light  skirmishing  immediately  commenced  at  my  front,  grow- 
ing heavier  in  the  early  afternoon,  and  still  heavier  just  before 
night-fall.  The  men  of  my  command  lay  on  their  arms  all  night  in 
expectation  of  further  attack. 

During  that  night  some  men  of  my  brigade,  by  applying  their 
ears  to  the  rails  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  which  ran  from  my 
position  southward  through  Corinth,  and  on  to  Mobile,  had  discov- 
ered and  reported  to  me  —  and  I  at  once  verified  their  report  by  like 
means  —  that  a  great  commotion  which  we  could  plainly  hear  from 
the  direction  of  Corinth,  of  trains  entering  and  leaving  it,  with  ac- 
companying shouts  of  rebel  soldiers,  believed  by  some  of  our  gen- 
erals ^  to  indicate    the  heavy  reinforcement   of    Beauregard,    was 


1  In  fact,  from  the  night  of  the  26th  to  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  May,  Hal- 
leck,  Sherman,  and  Pope  were  completely  at  sea  as  to  what  that  commotion 
meant.  Thus  Sherman  on  the  27th  reports  to  Halleck:  "  I  cannot  tell  what  the 
cars  were  doing  last  night.  They  seemed  to  come  from  the  south  to  a  point  this 
side  of  Corinth,  back  down,  and  depart  on  the  Memphis  road.  They  were  plainly 
heard  all  night,  and  although  I  listened  for  hours,  I  confess  I  cannot  give  a  reason- 
able guess  at  their  movements.  *  *  *  My  picket  officers  report  hearing  the 
march  of  troops,  the  sound  of  trains,  etc.,  but  they  are  unreliable.  We  can  only 
guess  at  what  they  were  about  last  night."  The  same  day  Pope  reports  to  Hal- 
leck: "You  no  doubt  heard  last  night  the  signal  guns  and  rockets  of  the  enemy. 
From  midnight  to  daylight  they  were  running  trains  rapidly,  I  think,  south  on  the 


666  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

really  caused  by  the  coming  into  Corinth  of  empty  trai?is,  which  wei-e 
loudly  cheered  upon  their  arrival^  and  the  departure  thence  in  silence  of 
loaded  trains.  This  made  it  plain  that  the  enemy,  instead  of  receiv- 
ing reinforcements,  was  actually  leaving  Corinth. 

This  information  I  communicated  to  General  Grant,  request- 
ing at  the  same  time  permission  to  advance  and  attack  the  enemy's 
works  at  my  front;  but  authority  to  do  this  was  refused. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  29th  I  again  asked  leave  to  ad- 
vance, believing  only  a  small  force  of  the  enemy  to  be  at  my  front, 
but,  as  upon  the  previous  day,  permission  was  refused. 

Desultory  firing  occupied  the  forenoon,  but  about  four  o'clock 
p.  M.  my  picket  line,  immediately  in  front,  was  attacked  with  great 
vigor,  volley  after  volley  being  fired  by  the  enemy  into  our  ranks, 
and  many  of  his  bullets  passing  over  the  heads  of  the  men  stand- 
ing in  line  of  battle  in  the  rear.  The  fire  was  returned  with  great 
effect,  and  the  enemy  was  forced  to  retire  with  a  loss  of  some  forty 
men.  This  was  the  last  skirmish  that  occurred  on  the  right  of  the 
line  occupied  by  General  Sherman  and  myself.  My  command, 
being  now  relieved  by  McDowell's  brigade,  marched  back  to  camp 
at  sundown. 

Next  morning.  May  30th,  the  evacuation  of  Corinth  and  its 
fortifications,  which  had  been  quietly  proceeding  for  days,  without 
let  or  hindrance  from  Halleck,  was  definitely  ascertained,  and  the 
Union  flag  at  last  waved  from  its  deserted  works. 

The  rebels  had  escaped,  leaving  nothing  behind  them  save 
some  empty  tin  pans  and  a  number  of  "Quaker  guns,"  consisting 
of  dummies  made  by  cutting  lengths  of  trees,  blackening  their 
centers,  and  mounting  them  on  wheels,  like  so  many  frowning  can- 


Mobile  Road."  Even  as  late  as  one  o'clock  A.  M.  of  the  30th,  Pope  informed  Hal- 
leck: "The  enemy  is  reinforcing  heavily  by  trains  in  my  front  and  on  my  left. 
The  cars  are  running  constantly,  and  the  cheering  is  immense  every  time  they 
unload  in  front  of  me.  I  have  no  doubt  from  all  appearances  that  I  shall  be  at- 
tacked in  heavy  force  at  daylight."  And  it  was  not  until  six  o'clock  the  same 
morning  that  he  had  reached  the  more  correct  conclusion  that  "  everything  indi- 
cates evacuation  and  retreat." 


"THE  SIEGE  OF  COKINTIL"  667 

non,  for  the  evident  purpose  of  increasing  the  ultra  caution  that 
had  already  loaded  down  Halleck's  advance,  and  but  for  which 
caution  we  might  have  captured  Beauregard's  army  with  Corinth. 

Had  the  permission  heretofore  referred  to  been  granted,  the 
onset  of  my  brigade  would  undoubtedly  have  brought  on  at  once 
a  general  attack,  and  a  great  battle  must  have  ensued,  which,  under 
all  the  circumstances,  cOuld  scarcely  have  ended  otherwise  than  in 
the  defeat  and  surrender  of  Beauregard  and  his  army,  with  the 
capture  of  his  material  of  war,  and  this  again  would  probably 
have  resulted  in  the  speedy  collapse  of  the  Rebellion  itself. 

As  it  was,  however,  Beauregard,  completely  outwitting  Hal- 
leck,  had  eluded  us  and  fallen  back  along  the  line  of  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  Railroad  to  Baldwin  and  Guntown,  and  finally  to  Tupelo, 
some  fifty  miles  south  of  Corinth,  where,  with  good  water  and 
a  better  chance  for  supplies  of  meat  and  provisions,  the  rebel  forces 
rested  and  were  reorganized  for  future  operations  against  the 
Union  armies. 

All  that  we  had  gained,  apparently,  was  the  barren  honor  of 
occupying  an  abandoned  position,  during  the  entire  advance  upon 
which  there  had  been  very  little  fighting,  save  what  has  been  here 
mentioned,  together  with  a  brisk  affair  at  Russell's  in  which  two 
of  Sherman's  brigades  participated,  and  some  sharper  fighting  on 
two  or  three  occasions  at  and  near  Farmington  by  some  of  Pope's 
brigades  on  the  Union  left. 

The  story  of  the  termination  of  Halleck's  achievement  was 
fairly  told,  May  30th,  by  an  army  correspondent  of  McCook's 
■division  of  Buell's  corps  at  the  Union  center: 

"  On  the  day  the  Second  Division  moved  out,  advances  with 
heavy  cannonading  were  made  by  Thomas  on  the  right  and  Pope 
on  the  left,  but  not  a  response  of  any  kind  was  elicited  from  the 
enemy.  During  that  night  we  could  hear  teams  being  driven  off 
and  boxes  being  nailed  in  the  rebel  camp.  Deserters,  however,  I 
understand,  reported  that  they  were  making  a  stand  and  would 
iight  the  next  day.     Considerable  cannonading  was  done  by  our 


668  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

forces,  and  yet  no  response,  and  yesterday  the  same.  Last  night 
the  same  band  sounded  retreat,  tattoo,  and  taps,  all  along  the  rebel 
lines,  moving  from  place  to  place,  and  this  morning  suspicion  was 
ripened  into  certainty  when  we  saw  dense  volumes  of  smoke  arise 
in  the  direction  of  Corinth,  and  heard  the  report  of  an  exploding 
magazine.  Corinth  was  evacuated,  and  Beauregard  had  achieved 
another  triumph.  I  do  not  know  how  the  matter  strikes  abler 
military  men,  but  I  think  we  have  been  fooled.  The  works  are 
far  from  being  invulnerable,  and  the  old  joke  of  Quaker  guns  has 
been  played  off  upon  us.  They  were  only  wooden  guns  with 
stuffed  '  Paddies '  for  gunners.  I  saw  them.  We  approached  clear 
from  Shiloh,  in  line  of  battle,  and  made  preparations  to  defend 
ourselves,  compared  with  which  the  preparations  of  Beauregard 
sink  into  insignificance.  This  morning  we  could  have  poured  shot 
and  shell  from  over  three  hundred  guns  into  works  that  never  saw 
the  day  when  General  Cook  could  not  have  taken  his  division  into 
them.  The  indications  are  that  the  rebel  force  here  did  not  exceed 
sixty  thousand  men.  With  what  light  I  had  I  regarded  the  mode 
of  our  advance  upon  Corinth  as  deep  wisdom;  with  the  light  I  now 
have  I  do  not." 

Beauregard's  own  report  of  the  evacuation,  written  June  13, 
1862,  at  Tupelo,  gives  the  reasons  which  impelled  the  evacuation 
in  these  words:  "The  purposes  and  ends  for  which  I  had  occupied 
and  held  Corinth  having  been  mainly  accomplished  by  the  last  of 
May,  and  by  the  25th  of  that  month  having  ascertained  definitely 
that  the  enemy  had  received  large  accessions  to  his  already  supe- 
rior force,  while  ours  had  been  reduced  day  by  day,  by  diseases 
resulting  from  bad  water  and  inferior  food,  I  felt  it  clearly  my  duty 
to  evacuate  that  position  without  delay.  I  was  further  induced  to 
this  step  by  the  fact  that  the  enemy  had  declined  my  offer  of  bat- 
tle twice  made  to  him  outside  of  my  intrenched  lines,  and  sedu- 
lously avoided  the  separation  of  his  corps,  which  he  advanced 
with  uncommon  caution  under  cover  of  heavy  guns,  strong 
intrenchments  constructed  with   unusual  labor,  and  with  singular 


"yy/Zi    SIEGE    OF  CORINTH."  669 

delay  considering  his  strength  and  our  relative  inferiority  in  num- 
bers. *  *  *  At  the  time  finally  prescribed  the  movement  com- 
menced and  was  accomplished  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
enemy,  who  only  began  to  suspect  the  evacuation  after  broad  day- 
light on  the  morning  of  May  30th,  when,  having  opened  on  the 
lines  from  his  formidable  batteries  of  heavy  and  long-range  guns 
erected  the  night  previous,  he  received  no  answer  from  any  direc- 
tion; but  as  our  cavalry  pickets  still  maintained  their  positions  of 
the  previous  day,  he  was  not  apparently  fully  satisfied  of  our 
movements  until  some  stores  of  little  value  in  the  town  were 
burned  which  could  not  be  moved.  It  was  then  to  his  surprise  the 
enemy  became  satisfied  that  a  large  army,  approached  with  such 
extraordinary  preparations,  expense,  labor,  and  timidity,  had  dis- 
appeared from  his  front,  with  all  its  munitions  and  heavy  guns, 
leaving  him  without  knowledge,  as  I  am  assured,  whither  it  had 
gone." 

On  the  night  of  the  27th  of  May,  Pope  had  sent  a  cavalry  force 
of  two  regiments  under  Colonel  W.  L.  Elliott,  to-wit:  the  Second 
Iowa  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  E.  Hatch,  and  the  Second  Michi- 
gan under  Colonel  Philip  H.  Sheridan,  to  ride  around  Corinth  on 
our  left,  tear  up  the  Mobile  Railroad,  some  twenty-two  miles  to  the 
south  of  it,  and  to  do  whatever  further  damage  to  the  enemy 
might  be  possible. 

These  cavalry  raiders  accordingly  struck  the  line  of  railroad  at 
Booneville  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  May  30th.  They 
captured  the  town,  finding  in  and  around  it  from  two  thousand  to 
twenty-five  hundred  convalescent  and  sick  rebel  soldiers,  as  well 
as  a  guard  of  from  five  hundred  to  seven  hundred  rebel  infantry, 
and  some  two  hundred  and  fifty  cavalry. 

The  raiders  found  near  the  railroad  depot  a  train  of  twenty-six 
large  cars,  with  locomotive  attached.  Ten  of  the  cars  were  loaded 
with  boxed  and  unboxed  small  arms  and  ammunition,  besides  a 
platform  car  with  three  field  pieces  of  artillery,  the  rest  of  the  cars 
being   packed  with    "  officers'  baggage,   clothing,    provisions,  and 


670  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

quartermaster's  stores."  The  depot  itself  was  stored  with  muni- 
tions, subsistence,  and  other  stores. 

The  enemy's  sick  were  removed  to  a  place  of  safety,  the  loco- 
motive and  cars  were  run  into  the  ditch,  and  after  the  track  and 
switches  above  and  below  the  town,  as  well  as  the  platform,  had 
been  well  destroyed,  Elliott's  raiding  party  set  fire  to  the  depot 
and  cars  and  galloped  away,  having  insured  the  destruction  of 
nearly  half  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  property  valuable  to  the 
enemy  for  military  purposes.  It  was  in  this  dashing  exploit  that 
Colonel  Phil.  Sheridan  first  attracted  attention  and  began  his 
career  of  renown. 

Upon  the  first  of  June,  Halleck  received  from  Pope  an  enthusi- 
astic report  of  the  Elliott  cavalry  raid.  This  he  at  once  telegraphed 
in  full  to  Secretary  Stanton,  and  was  rewarded  the  following  day 
by  a  telegram  from  the  latter,  saying:  "  Your  brilliant  and  suc- 
cessful achievement  gives  great  joy  over  the  whole  land.  Every 
one  is  anxious  to  hear  the  latest  news,  and  I  hope  you  will  tele- 
graph frequently.  The  President  would  be  glad  to  have  the  news 
every  hour.  *  *  *  General  McClellan  was  attacked  yesterday; 
he  had  a  hard  battle,  but  drove  the  enemy  back.  He  is  not  yet  in 
Richmond,  but  we  hope  he  soon  will  be." 

Meanwhile  it  became  generally  known  that  besides  the  divis- 
ions of  Rosecrans  and  Hamilton,  and  Granger's  cavalry,  belong- 
ing to  Pope's  army,  there  had  been  added  to  it,  to  strengthen  the 
pursuit  of  the  enemy  —  now  supposed  to  be  vigorously  pressed  — 
the  divisions  of  Davies  and  W.  T.  Sherman,  of  Thomas'  corps. 
Hence  public  expectation  of  decisive  results  waxed  high.  And 
when  the  following  dispatch  was  published  the  agitation  of  the 
public  mind  in  the  North  was  extreme,  as  it  seemed  to  presage 
the  speedy  capture  or  utter  dispersion  of  the  rebel  forces  under 
Beauregard,  Bragg,  Polk,  Van  Dorn,  Hardee,  and  Breckinridge, 
with  all  the  mighty  consequences  which  in  that  event  must  have 
ensued  : 


"THE  SIEGE  OE  COR  IN  Til ."  67  I 

"  Hai.i.kck's  Hkadquarters,  June  4th,  1862 
"  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Sfxretaky  ov  War  : 

"General  Pope  with  forty  thousand  men  is  thirty  miles  south  of  Florence 
(Corinth),  pushing  the  enemy  hard.  He  already  reports  ten  thousand  prisoners 
and  deserters  from  the  enemy,  and  fifteen  thousand  stand  of  arms  captured. 
Thousands  of  the  enemy  are  throwing  away  their  arms.  A  farmer  says  that  when 
Beauregard  learned  that  Colonel  Elliott  had  cut  the  railroad  on  his  line  of  retreat 
he  became  frantic  and  told  the  men  to  save  themselves  the  best  way  they  could 
We  captured  nine  locomotives  and  a  number  of  cars.  One  of  the  former  is  already 
repaired  and  is  running  today.  Several  more  will  be  in  running  order  in  a  few 
days.     The  result  is  all  that  I  could  possibly  desire. 

"  H.  W.  Halleck, 
"  Major-General  Commanding." 

The  effect  of  this  sensational   dispatch,  artfully  manufactured 

for  the  purpose,  apparently,  of  at  one  stroke  obscuring  whatever 

glory  McClellan   might  have  gained   in  his  recent  repulse  of  the 

enemy  near  Richmond,  and  at  the  same  time  of  disarming  public 

criticism    touching   his    own    comparatively   inglorious   campaign 

against  Corinth,  was  even  greater  than  Halleck  had  anticipated.    It 

at  once  elicited  the  following  replies  from  Secretary  Stanton  and 

President  Lincoln : 

"  Washington,  June  4,  1862. 
"  Your  glorious  dispatch  has  just  been  received,  and  I  have  sent  it  into  every 
State.     The  whole  land  will  soon  ring  with  applause  at  the  achievement  of  your 
gallant  army  and  its  able  and  victorious  commander. 

"  Edwin  M.  Stanton, 

' '  Secretary  of  War. 
"To  Major-General  Halleck,  Corinth." 

"  Washington,  June  4,  1862. 
"  Your  dispatch  of  today  to  Secretary  of  War  received.    Thanks  for  the  good 

news  it  brings. 

"A,  Lincoln. 
"  To  Major-General  Halleck." 

It  soon  transpired,  however,  that  the  glowing  expectations 
raised  in  the  public  mind  by  Halleck's  sensational  dispatch  were 
doomed  to  disappointment;  that  some  of  its  statements  were  exag- 
gerations; and  that  the  principal  one,  touching  Pope,  to-wit:  that 
''  he  already  reports  ten  thousand  prisoners  and  deserters  from  the 
enemy,"  was  absolutely  and  wholly  untrue. 


672  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

Beauregard's  report  of  the  13th  of  June,  made  at  Tupelo, 
although  taken  with  the  allowances  usually  made  for  statements 
coming  from  the  enemy,  helped  to  satisfy  the  public  mind  of  the 
untruthfulness  of  a  part,  at  least,  of  that  dispatch.  It  further 
helped,  however,  to  unjustly  fix  the  odium  upon  the  shoulders 
of  both  Pope  and  Halleck,  instead  of  upon  those  of  Halleck 
alone. 

In  that  report  Beauregard  declared,  touching  the  Elliott  raid 
on  Booneville  (May  30th),  that  instead  of  ''ten  thousand  stand  of 
small  arms"  reported  destroyed  there,  "the  truth  is,  not  to  exceed 
fifteen  hundred,  mostly  inferior  muskets,  were  lost  on  that  occa- 
sion." This  statement  is  entirely  upset,  however,  by  the  reports 
of  Colonel  Elliott  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hatch,  of  the  Second 
Iowa  Cavalry. 

Beauregard's  report  more  justly  described  Halleck's  telegraphic 
reports  just  given  as  "equally  inaccurate,  reckless,  and  untrust- 
worthy," touching  the  quantities  of  property  and  stores  alleged 
to  have  been  destroyed  by  the  enemy  at  Corinth,  and  touching 
^'  General  Pope's  alleged  pressing  pursuit"  of  the  enemy.  "Major- 
General  Halleck's  dispatch  of  June  4th,"  continues  Beauregard, 
"was  particularly  described  as  disgracefully  untrue.  Possibly, 
however,  he  was  duped  by  a  subordinate.  Nothing,  for  example, 
can  be  wider  from  the  truth  than  that  ten  thousand  men  and 
fifteen  thousand  small  arms  of  this  army  were  captured  or  lost  in 
addition  to  those  destroyed  at  Booneville.  Some  five  hundred 
inferior  small  arms  were  accidentally  left  by  convalescents  in  a  camp 
four  miles  south  of  Corinth.  No  artillery  of  any  description  was 
lost,  no  clothing,  no  tents  worth  removal  were  left  standing." 

While,  therefore,  it  was  generally  acknowledged,  at  the  time 
that  Beauregard's  report  was  quoted  from  in  the  Northern  as  well 
as  Southern  papers,  that  some  of  these  dispatches,  especially  that 
of  June  4th,  were  gross  exaggerations,  yet  so  completely  was  Hal- 
leck master  of  the  art  of  wheedling  the  press,  that  very  few  sup- 
posed him  to  be  guilty  of  absolute  falsification,  and  the  public  was 


"THE  SIEGE  OF  COKEVrn."  673 

brought  to  believe  that,  as  Beauregard  himself  intimates,  Halleck 
must  have  been  duped  by  Pope. 

Halleck  took  occasion,  moreover,  to  confirm  this  false  impres- 
sion early  in  July,  in  the  following  deliberately  penned  letter: 

"CoKiNTii,  Mississippi,  July  3,  1862. 

"  In  accordance  with  your  instructions  I  telegraph  you  daily  what  information 
I  receive  of  events  in  this  department,  stating  whether  official  or  unofficial,  and  if 
official  giving  the  authority.  I  am  not  responsible  for  the  truth  of  the  statements 
thus  communicated.  I  have  seen  a  published  statement  of  General  Beauregard 
that  my  telegram  respecting  the  capture  of  locomotives,  prisoners,  and  arms,  con- 
tained as  many  lies  as  lines.  The  number  of  locomotives  captured  was  reported 
to  be  nine,  and  I  so  telegraphed  you.  General  Beauregard  says  only  seven.  It 
turns  out  on  full  investigation  that  we  captured  eleven.  In  regard  to  the  number  of 
prisoners  and  arms  taken  I  telegraphed  the  exact  language  of  General  Pope.  If  it  was 
erroneous,  the  responsibility  is  his,  not  mine. 

"H.  W.  Halleck,  Major-General, 

"  To  Hon.  E.  M.  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War." 

It  may  hardly  be  believed,  save  by  those  who  already  know  of 
his  base  duplicity  toward  General  Grant,  that  in  this  letter  Halleck 
uttered  an  unmitigated  falsehood.  It  must  be  evident  upon  reflec- 
tion, however,  that  he  who  could  be  guilty  of  the  course  that  Hal- 
leck pursued  toward  General  Grant,  must  have  been  capable  of 
pursuing  a  similar  course  toward  any  other  army  officer. 

It  is  a  fact  susceptible  of  abundant  proof  that  General  Pope 
never  reported  to  Halleck,  nor  to  any  one  else  during  the  so-called 
''pursuit"  of  the  enemy  from  Corinth,  "ten  thousand  prisoners 
and  deserters  from  the  enemy  and  fifteen  thousand  stand  of  arms 
captured,"  which  Halleck  here  says  is  "the  exact  language  of  Gen- 
eral Pope,"  and  which  the  former  telegraphed  on  the  4th  of  June, 
1862.  It  is  due  to  a  brave,  able,  and  truthful  soldier,  that  history 
shall  set  General  Pope  right  in  the  estimation  of  his  countrymen 
by  at  least  rendering  to  him  this  scant  and  long-delayed  justice. 
It  can  be  broadly  alleged  that  General  Pope  never  made  any  such 
statement  of  fact  as  that  attributed  to  him  by  Halleck.  No  such 
report  or  statement  can  be  found.  The  most  careful  search  of  the 
official  documents  fails  to  develop  anything,  directly  or  indirectly, 


6  74  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

warranting  either  the  language  of  Halleck's  sensational  dispatch 
of  the  4th  of  June,  or  his  attempted  defense  of  himself,  of  July  3d, 
against  Beauregard's  charge  of  disgraceful  falsification,  by  trying 
to  shift  the  blame  upon  General  Pope's  innocent  shoulders. 


THE   MISSISSIPPI    CAMPAIGN. 


IN  the  attempt  to  take  Vicksburg  in  the  rear  made  by  Gen- 
eral Grant  in  the  fall  of  1862,  I  commanded  the  First  Division  of 
the  right  wing  of  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  so  denominated,  which 
was  organized  at  Bolivar,  Tennessee.  This  command  consisted  of 
the  following  troops:  First  Brigade,  Colonel  C.  C.  Marsh  com- 
manding; John  E.  Smith,  Forty-fifth  Illinois;  L.  S.  Ozburum, 
Thirty-first  Illinois;  Captain  Conrad,  Twentieth  Illinois;  J.  H. 
Howe,  One-hundred-and-twenty-fourth  Illinois;  Elias  H.  Evans, 
Thirtieth  Illinois.  Second  Brigade,  M.  D.  Leggett  commanding; 
C.  S.  Chandler,  Seventy-eighth  Ohio;  M.  F.  Force,  Twentieth 
Ohio;  Shook,  Sixty-eighth  Ohio;  W.  P.  Davis,  Twenty- 
third  Indiana.  Artillery  —  Ninth  Indiana  Battery;  De  Golyer's 
Michigan  Battery;  W.  S.  Williams,  Third  Ohio  Battery;  W.  H. 
Bolton,  Company  D,  First  Illinois  Artillery;  G.  C.  Gunback,  Com- 
pany E,  Second  Illinois  Infantry;  besides  Norton's  Seventeenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  detached. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  command  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  the 
Seventeenth  Corps,  under  orders  from  the  War  Department,  was 
organized,  I  being  assigned,  on  the  nth  of  January,  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  Third  Division,  consisting  of  the  following  troops, 
which  remained  with  me  intact  until  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  and 
until  I  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps, 
on  the  14th  of  November,  1863: 

First  Brigade,  General  John  E.  Smith  commanding,  consisted 
of  the  Twenty-third  Indiana,  Colonel  William  P.  Davis;  Twentieth 
Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colonel  E.  Richards;  Thirty-first  Illinois,  E.  S. 
McCook;  Forty-fifth  Illinois,  J.  A.  Maltby;  One-hundred-and- 
twenty-fourth  Illinois,  G.  J.  Sloan. 

675 


6  76  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

Second  Brigade,  M.  D.  Leggett  commanding:  Twentieth  Ohio, 
M.  F.  Force;  Thirtieth  Illinois,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Warren  Shedd, 
Seventy-eighth  Ohio,  Z.  M.  Chandler;  Sixty-eighth  Ohio,  Colonel 
R.  K.  Scott. 

Third  Brigade,  Colonel  John  D.  Stevenson  commanding:  Sev- 
enth Missouri,  Colonel  W.  S.  Oliver;  Eighth  Illinois,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  R.  H.  Sturgis;  Thirty-second  Ohio,  Colonel  B.  F.  Potts, 
and  the  Eighty-first  Illinois,  Colonel  J.  J.  Dollins.  C.  J.  Stolbrand, 
Chief  of  Artillery;  "D"  of  the  First  Illinois  Artillery,  H.  A.  Rog- 
ers Captain  commanding;  "  L"  Second  Illinois  Artillery,  Captain 
W.  H.  Bolton;  Third  Ohio  Battery,  Captain  W.  S.  Williams;  "G" 
Second  Illinois,  Captain  F.  S.  Sparrestron;  "  A  "  Second  Illinois. 
Captain  R.  Hotaling. 

I  landed  with  my  troops  at  Lake  Providence,  La.,  on  the  22nd 
of  February,  1863,  and  moved  to  Milliken's  Bend  on  the  25th  of 
April,  thence  by  the  way  of  Carthage  and  Perkins'  Plantation  to 
Hard  Times  Landing,  below  Grand  Gulf.  In  the  meantime,  the 
transports  had  passed  the  rebel  batteries  at  Vicksburg,  the  former 
being  commanded,  almost  exclusively,  by  volunteers  from  my  own 
division. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  May,  my  division  was  ferried 
over  the  river,  landed  at  Bruinsburg,  and  immediately  pushed 
toward  Fort  Gibson,  where  General  John  A.  McClernand  was  en- 
gaging the  enemy,  and  attempting  without  success  to  drive  him 
from  his  position.^ 


*  The  official  report  of  General  Grant  gives  full  credit  to  General  Logan,  as  fol- 
lows; "  McClernand,  who  was  with  the  right  in  person,  sent  repeated  messages  to 
me  before  the  arrival  of  Logan  to  send  his  and  Quimby's  divisions  lo  him.  Oster- 
haus,  of  McClernand's  oorps,  did  not  move  the  enemy  from  the  position  occupied 
by  him  on  our  left  until  Logan's  division  of  McPherson's  corps  arrived.  How- 
ever, as  soon  as  the  advance  of  McPherson's  corps,  Logan's  division,  arrived,  I 
sent  one  brigade  of  the  division  to  the  left.  By  the  judicious  disposition  made  of 
this  brigade  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  McPherson  and  Logan,  a  position 
was  soon  obtained,  giving  us  an  advantage,  which  drove  the  enemy  from  that  part 
of  the  field,  to  make  no  further  stand  south  of  Bayou  Pierre,  and  the  enemy  was 
here  repulsed  with  a  heavy  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.     He  was  pur- 


RAYMOND  AND  CIIAMPIOX  HILLS.  677 


Battle  of  Raymond. 

On  the  1 2th  of  May,  I  struck  the  enemy  again,  at  Raymond, 
under  Gregg  and  Walker,  and  after  several  hours  of  hard  fighting, 
drove  him  back,  with  heavy  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners, 
many  of  the  rebels  throwing  down  their  arms  and  deserting.  My 
own  division  alone  participated  in  the  fight. 

Champion  Hills. 

On  the  14th,  we  were  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  participated  in  the 
fight  of  that  day;  and  after  the  capture  of  Jackson,  on  the  15th  of 
May,  we  marched  toward  Vicksburg,  coming  up  with  the  enemy  at 
Champion  Hills  on  the  16th.  General  Hovey,  of  McClernand's  corps^ 
engaged  the  enemy  first,  and  was  about  to  retire  from  exhaustion 
of  his  troops,  when  I  came  up,  and  by  a  movement  on  the  right  I 
succeeded  in  turning  the  enemy's  fiank,  and  in  capturing  a  large 
number  of  guns  and  prisoners.^ 


sued  toward  Fort  Gibson,  but,  night  closing  in,  and  the  enemy  making  the  appear- 
ance of  another  stand,  the  troops  slept  upon  their  arms  until  daylight.  Major 
Stolbrand,  with  a  section  of  one  of  General  Logan's  batteries,  had  the  pleasure  of 
firing  the  last  shot  at  the  retreating  enemy  across  the  bridge,  on  the  North  Fork 
of  Bayou  Pierre,  just  at  dusk  of  that  day." — C.  A.  L. 

^  General  Grant,  in  his  official  report,  says:  "  The  battle  of  Champion  Hills 
was  fought  mainly  by  Logan's  and  Crocker's  divisions  of  McPherson's  corps,  and 
Hovey' s  division  of  McClernand's  corps.  During  the  hottest  part  of  the  engage- 
ment Logan  rode  up  and  told  me  that  if  Hovey  could  make  another  dash  at  the 
enemy  he  could  come  up  from  where  he  then  was  and  capture  the  greater  part  of 
their  force.  I  immediately  rode  forward,  and  found  the  troops,  that  had  been  so 
gallantly  engaged  for  so  many  hours,  withdrawn  from  their  advanced  position, 
and  were  filling  their  cartridge-boxes.  I  desired  them  to  use  all  dispatch,  push 
forward  as  soon  as  possible,  and  explained  to  them  the  position  of  Logan's 
division.  I  proceeded  still  further  forward,  expecting  every  moment  to  see  the 
enemy,  but  when  I  reached  what  had  been  his  line  I  found  he  was  retreating."  It 
was  thus  by  Logan's  movement  on  the  right  that  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills  was 
won.  The  enemy  did  not  halt  in  his  retreat  until  he  had  reached  his  stronghold 
at  Vicksburg. — C.  A.  L. 


678  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES, 


ViCKSBURG. 

On  the  evening  of  the  17th,  after  the  successful  engagement  at 
Big  Black,  my  division  took  the  Jackson  road,  moved  forward  upon 
the  enemy's  lines  at  Vicksburg,  and  at  night  on  the  i8th  went  into 
position  on  the  center  of  the  circumvallating  line  which  enveloped 
Vicksburg.  We  then  made  the  unsuccessful  assault  of  the  19th  and 
22nd  of  May,  and  subsequently  commenced  our  trenches  and  mines 
for  a  regular  siege.  Upon  the  4th  of  July,  1863,  we  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  entering  the  city  of  Vicksburg.^ 

^  The  ground  in  General  Logan's  front  was  recognized  as  the  commanding 
position  of  the  entire  line,  and  the  battery  constructed  there  was  named  "  Battery 
Logan."  A  nine-inch  navy  gun  was  planted  in  his  front,  served  by  the  First 
U.  S.  Infantry.  His  position  was  regarded  by  the  enemy  as  a  shining  target  for 
all  their  missiles.  A  shell  exploded  in  his  tent  during  the  siege.  His  quarters 
were  within  a  few  yards  of  the  main  parapet,  and  became  the  station  of  observa- 
tion for  the  officers  of  the  entire  line.  Indeed,  General  Grant  occupied  that 
position  during  the  two  days'  assault,  on  the  igth  and  22d  of  May,  as  being  the 
most  commanding  point.  It  was  from  the  front  of  General  Logan's  headquarters 
that  the  mine  was  sprung  which  created  such  disaster  to  the  enemy  on  the  25th 
day  of  June,  and  which  resulted  in  a  flag  of  truce  on  the  3d  of  July,  followed  by 
the  surrender  of  Vicksburg  on  the  4th.  General  Logan  was  selected  by  General 
Grant  for  consultation  during  the  interviews  with  General  Pemberton,  in  command 
of  the  rebel  force,  looking  to  the  surrender,  and  the  terms  of  the  surrender  were 
written  and  dictated  near  "  Battery  Logan."  In  consideration  of  the  services  of 
General  Logan  during  the  siege,  his  command,  by  general  orders,  took  the  lead 
in  marching  into  Vicksburg  on  the  4th  of  July,  and  he  was  immediately  afterward 
assigned  to  the  command  of  that  city.  This  command  he  held,  discharging  its 
delicate  duties  until  the  14th  of  November,  1863,  when  he  was,  by  orders  from 
the  War  Department,  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps. — C.  A.  L. 


THE  ATLANTA   CAMPAIGN. 


Resaca. 

WE  were  now  about  to  enter  upon  the  famous  Atlanta  Cam- 
paign, I  had  moved  my  headquarters  to  Huntsville,  Ala- 
bama, and  therefore  was  the  first  to  take  up  the  march  for  Chatta- 
nooga, the  starting-point.  The  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  composed 
of  the  Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and  Seventeenth  Army  Corps,  under 
command  of  General  McPherson,  was  employed  during  this  entire 
campaign,  in  the  language  of  General  Sherman,  as  "the  snapper  to 
the  whip  with  which  he  purposed  to  punish  the  enemy,"  and  its  move- 
ments to  the  right  and  left  of  the  other  armies,  constantly  reaching 
and  occupying  the  most  difficult  and  perilous  positions,  entailed  upon 
its  several  commanding  officers  delicate  and  exhausting  duties.  The 
commanders  of  the  three  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
were,  respectively,  as  follows: 

Major-General  John  A.  Logan,  commanding  the  Fifteenth 
Corps;  Major-General  G.  M.  Dodge,  commanding  the  Sixteenth 
Corps;  Major-General  Frank  P.  Blair,  commanding  the  Seven- 
teenth Corps. 

While  the  main  army,  under  the  immediate  supervision  of  Gen- 
eral Sherman,  was  confronting  the  enemy  at  Dalton  and  Buzzard's 
Roost,  the  first  flank  movement  of  the  series  made  by  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  was  to  the  right  through  Snake  Creek  Gap,  upon 
the  town  of  Resaca, 

The  attempt  to  break  the  railroad  at  Resaca,  and  thus  cut  off 

the  retreat  of  the  enemy,  failed,  not  because  of  the  timidity  of  any 

one,  as  has  been  unjustly  suggested,  but  because  the  place  was 

found  so  completely  fortified  that  it  ultimately  required  the  best 

efforts  of  Sherman's  whole  army  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  that 

679 


68o  MILITAR  Y  REMINISCENCES. 

position,  and  but  for  the  splendid  flank  movement  of  the  Fif- 
teenth Corps  upon  the  right  of  the  line,  on  the  i6th  of  May,  the 
attack  upon  the  enemy's  position  must  have  consumed  days  instead 
of  hours,  before  he  would  have  been  compelled  to  retreat. 

The  unsuccessful  onslaught  of  General  Hooker  and  Gen- 
eral Howard,  on  the  13th  of  May,  proves  the  wise  discretion 
of  General  McPherson  in  not  attempting  to  carry  the  works 
with  a  single  army  when  first  he  reached  Resaca,  while  the  bril- 
liant charge  made  by  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  by  which  we  were 
enabled  to  turn  the  enemy's  position,  vindicates  the  previous  action 
of  McPherson. 

[The  scene  of  the  movement  has  been  described  as  follows: 
"  Logan  moved  first  and  drew  the  first  fire.  In  front  of  his  Second 
Division  was  an  open  field  in  which  were  the  enemy's  skirmishers, 
and  across  in  the  woods  his  line  of  battle.  At  the  bugle  the  division 
fell  into  line,  deployed  skirmishers,  and  swept  across  the  field, 
driving  the  enemy  in  splendid  style.  General  Logan  accompanied 
the  line.  At  the  same  time  Harrow,  who  had  fallen  back  of  the 
main  road  to  allow  Morgan  L.  Smith  to  move  to  the  right,  moved  on 
double-quick  to  the  left  of  Osterhaus,  the  two  divisions  pushing 
into  the  thick  wood  on  the  left  of  the  Second.  Dodge  moved  his 
command  from  the  Ferry  road  down  through  the  forest  to  fill  up 
the  space  between  the  Fifteenth  and  the  Oestonala,  his  Fourth 
Division,  under  General  Veatch,  having  the  advance.  After  cross- 
ing the  field.  General  Morgan  L.  Smith  entered  the  wood,  and 
pushed  rapidly  for  the  hills  in  his  front,  and  the  whole  Fifteenth 
then  moved  suddenly  forward,  driving  the  enemy  for  a  mile  and 
a  half,  until  the  corps  were  in  position  on  the  hills  which  they  had 
been  ordered  to  take.  The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  was  occu- 
pied in  intrenching  the  line,  and  putting  batteries  into  position,  while 
skirmishers  and  pickets  were  constantly  exchanging  shots. 

"  The  next  day  about  noon  General  Logan  received  orders  to 
make  an  assault  upon  the  rebel  lines  in  his  front.  He  directed  the 
assault  to  be  made  by  one  brigade  from  each  of  the  First  and 


THE  BATTLE  OE  DALLAS.  68  I 

Second  Divisions  —  General  Charles  R.  Wood's  brigade  of  the 
First  Division,  and  General  Giles  A.  Smith's  of  the  Second.  The 
remainder  of  the  command  was  placed  in  position  to  give  such 
immediate  support  to  the  charging  party  as  circumstances  might 
require.  General  Logan  was  in  front,  busy  along  the  line.  It 
being  very  difficult  to  cross  the  creek  which  ran  between  the 
attacking  column  of  the  enemy,  the  troops  were  carried  over  to  the 
opposite  bank  on  logs,  or  in  any  other  feasible  manner,  under 
cover  of  the  fire  from  the  batteries.  It  was  six  o'clock  when 
the  skirmishers  were  advanced  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  com- 
menced driving  the  rebels.  At  the  order  of  General  Logan  the 
brigade  sprang  up  from  the  bank  under  which  they  were  covered, 
deployed,  and  moved  forward  at  double-quick.  Very  soon  strong 
forces  displaying  seven  regimental  colors  were  discovered  moving 
in  column  by  regiments.  The  whole  force  of  two  brigades  of 
General  Logan  was  deployed  in  the  front.  The  rebel  column 
would  strike  it  in  a  few  minutes.  If  it  broke  our  lines,  the  position 
was  gone  and  the  two  brigades  lost.  Logan  hurried  along  the 
front.  His  command  reserved  its  fire  until  the  enemy  were  within 
sixty  yards.  The  rebel  column  staggered,  fell  back,  re-formed,  and 
renewed  the  assault.  They  were  again  repulsed,  and  made  a  last 
attempt  to  turn  Logan's  flank.  They  were  again  driven  back  with 
great  loss,  and  under  cover  of  the  night,  for  it  was  then  dark,  they 
left  the  field  in  possession  of  General  Logan's  troops,  who 
advanced  and  placed  the  flag  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Ohio  on  the 
abandoned  redoubt.  At  two  in  the  morning  Resaca  was  destitute 
of  rebels.  Our  loss  in  the  Fifteenth  Corps  was  something  over 
three  hundred,  while  the  rebels  admitted  casualties  to  the  number 
of  more  than  twenty-five  hundred.  Thus  ended  the  first  fight  of 
any  moment  in  the  Atlanta  campaign." — C.  A.  L.] 

Dallas. 

As  at  Resaca,  so  at  Dallas,  the  glorious  Fifteenth  Corps  took 
the  brunt  of  the  movement.     I  was  again  on   the   extreme  right, 


682  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

and  marched  to  Dallas,  on  the  27th  of  May,  at  four  p.  m.,  the  whole 
rebel  army  confronting  me  as  we  went  into  position  beyond  the 
town.  The  28th  was  spent  in  closing  up  my  line,  and  preparing 
for  any  attack  which  might  be  made.  The  enemy  endeavored 
during  the  whole  day  to  feel  my  line,  and  not  a  moment  passed 
without  shots  between  the  skirmishers.  I  held  the  right  with  the 
Sixteenth  Corps  under  Dodge  on  my  left,  while  Sherman  was  wait- 
ing and  expecting  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  to  move  to  the  left 
to  close  up  on  the  enemy,  whom  he  (Sherman)  supposed  to  be  on 
his  immediate  front,  that  is  to  say,  in  front  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  and  the  Army  of  the  Ohio.  But  the  fact  is  that 
Johnston's  entire  command  was  centered  upon  our  right  flank,  with 
a  determination  to  break  through  and  to  prevent  any  movement  to 
the  left.  Repeated  and  impatient  orders  were  sent  to  McPherson 
during  the  time  he  was  hotly  engaged  with  Johnston's  army,  to 
move  to  the  left  and  join  Sherman. 

On  the  28th,  Hardee's  corps  moved  with  twenty-three  thou- 
sand men  upon  my  front,  and  then  there  ensued  one  of  the  severest 
struggles  of  the  entire  campaign.  Never  did  men  fight  more  des- 
perately than  did  the  rebels  to  drive  us  from  our  position,  as  the 
field  of  battle  after  the  contest  plainly  showed.  We  found  five 
color-bearers,  at  the  close  of  this  sharp  engagement,  dead  in  their 
places.  We  buried  three  hundred  of  the  enemy  and  would  have 
buried  more  had  not  the  rebels  fired  upon  our  stretcher-bearers, 
driving  them  and  all  burying  parties  from  the  field.  Fifty-four 
rebels  were  buried  in  front  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Indiana.  I  had  no 
time  to  get  up  my  artillery,  and  in  this  repulse  of  the  repeated 
attacks  of  the  enemy  I  was  compelled  to  depend  almost  entirely 
upon  the  musketry.  ^ 


^  The  report  states  that  General  Logan's  leadership  contributed  greatly  to 
the  success  of  the  day.  He  rode  along  the  entire  line  with  an  electric  word  for 
each  brave  regiment,  swinging  his  hat  and  cheering  when  the  bullets  were  thick- 
est, while  his  strong  voice  rose  high  above  the  roar  of  the  fight.  The  splendid 
enthusiasm  of  the  man  inspired  such  of  the  troops  as  required  the  inspiration 
with  a  like  temper. — C.  A.  L. 


THE  A SSA  UI.  T  OM  KENESA  W  MO UNTAIN.  683 

The  rebel  loss  was  over  twenty-five  hundred.  Three  times  the 
enemy  attacked,  and  were  as  often  repulsed.  One  hundred  and 
fifty  prisoners  were  taken.  We  lost  two  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
brave  fellows.  The  following  commissioned  officers  were  killed: 
Colonel  Dickerman,  of  the  One-hundred-and-third  Illinois;  Major 
Grisy,  of  the  Forty-sixth  Ohio;  and  Lieutenant  Louell,  of  the 
Twenty-seventh  Ohio.  At  this  place  there  occurred  a  night  attack 
upon  us,  which  was  brilliant  as  well  as  beautiful.  A  streaming 
line  of  fire  along  the  whole  front,  with  a  blaze  of  musketry  and 
artillery,  lit  up  the  sky  with  lurid  glare.  It  accomplished  nothing 
for  the  rebels,  however,  save  to  cause  loss  of  sleep  to  the  tired  sol- 
diers of  both  sides.  The  three  attacks  were  only  intended  to 
prevent  the  movement  contemplated  by  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
to  the  left,  as  General  Sherman  had  proposed.  The  Dallas  fight 
was  the  third  of  the  three  successive  attacks  of  the  enemy  since 
the  opening  of  the  campaign  south  of  the  Etowah,  up  to  the 
evening  of  the  28th.  On  the  25th  Hooker  was  engaged  in  the 
•center,  and  on  the  27th,  Wood  upon  the  left  flank. 

The  Assault  on  Kenesaw  Mountain. 

On  the  27th  of  June  the  attempt  of  General  Sherman  to  carry 
Kenesaw  Mountain  took  place.  The  propriety  of  this  movement, 
-as  well  as  that  of  the  attempt  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  Buz- 
zard's Roost,  has  been  hotly  discussed  by  those  of  opposite  views. 
However,  the  orders  having  been  given,  the  disposition  of  the 
troops  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was  perfected  with  a  view  to 
-secure  success  in  the  assault  if  possible.  The  alacrity  with  which 
the  troops  moved  out  to  an  attack  which  was  universally  considered 
ill-advised,  to  say  the  least,  was  one  of  the  strongest  proofs  exhib- 
ited during  the  campaign  of  the  complete  discipline  and  soldierly 
■qualities  of  the  volunteer  soldier  of  the  Western  army.  My  corps 
moved  promptly  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  after  an  hour 
and  a  quarter  had  cleared  two  lines  of  abattis,  carried  a  line  of  earth- 
'works  by  a  charge,  followed  the  rout  of  the  enemy  up  his  rugged 


684  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

Strongholds,  under  a  murderous  cross-fire  of  artillery  and  a  storm 
of  bullets,  conquered  every  obstacle,  planted  the  flag  at  the  foot 
of  the  insurmountable  array  of  cliffs,  threw  up  defenses  of  logs 
and  stones,  and  held  the  line  despite  the  persistent  efforts  of  the 
enemy  to  dislodge  us.  We  lost  sixty  officers  and  four  hundred 
men,  killed  and  wounded.  One  of  my  regiments  came  out  of  the 
fight  with  but  five  line  and  field  officers  fit  for  duty.  The  losses 
were  :  Colonel  Rice,  of  the  Fifty-seventh  Illinois,  mortally 
wounded;  Colonel  Parry,  Fifty-fourth  Ohio,  and  Colonel  Walcott, 
slightly  wounded;  Colonel  Parnhill,  Fortieth  Illinois,  and  Captain 
Augustine,  commander  of  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois,  killed.  The 
Eighty-third  Indiana  lost  two  color-bearers  while  ascending  the 
mountain. 

The  average  perpendicular  height  of  the  precipice  against 
which  the  charge  was  made  was  thirty  feet.  Along  the  verge  of 
this  the  enemy  had  drawn  his  line  of  battle,  and  his  troops,  as  our 
own  approached,  hurled  down  rocks,  clubs,  and  every  conceivable 
species  of  missiles,  injuring,  killing,  and  maiming  many  of  our  men. 
The  position  of  the  enemy  w^as  turned  by  General  Sherman's 
"  whip-snapper,"  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  By  another  flank 
movement  this  army  was  at  Nickajack  Creek  on  the  4th  of  July,, 
celebrating  the  anniversary  of  our  independence  by  an  artillery 
fight  with  Johnston's  rear  guard,  while  he,  with  his  main  army,  was 
safely  and  quietly  moving  across  Chattahoochee  toward  Atlanta. 
The  next  movement  was  to  the  left  flank  through  Marietta,  cross- 
ing the  bridge  at  Rosswell  built  by  Dodge,  advancing  through 
Decatur,  and  going  into  position  on  the  21st  of  July,  after  a  severe 
fight,  with  which  we  contested  the  range  of  hills  that  overlooks  the 
city  of  Atlanta. 

On  the  night  of  the  21st  I  occupied  an  intrenched  position,  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio,  under  General  Schofield,  being  upon  my  right, 
and  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  under  General  Blair,  upon  my  left. 
The  left  flank  was  to  have  been  occupied  by  General  Dodge,  com- 
manding the  Sixteenth  Corps,  who  had  been  left  out  on  the  march 


'JJJE  JJKSTi  Jy.l  TILE  OJ-  A  J  J.AN-J'A,  685 

of  the  preceding  day  by  the  connection  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Seven- 
teenth Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  The  cavalry  com- 
mand which  was  covering  the  flanks  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
—  reporting  to  General  McPherson  — had  been  sent  off  by  General 
Sherman's  orders  to  destroy  the  bridge  near  Covington,  thus  leav- 
ing the  left  flank  "  in  air,"  The  trains  were  stopped  at  Decatur 
and  guarded  by  Sprague,  of  Ohio,  with  a  brigade.  The  severe 
fighting  for  the  position  which  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  occu- 
pied, and  which  it  did  not  secure  until  dark  of  the  21st,  led  the 
commanding  officers  of  that  army  to  believe  that  the  enemy  was  in 
force  in  our  immediate  front,  and  General  Blair  and  I  made  dispo- 
sition of  our  troops  accordingly,  under  direction  of  General  Mc- 
Pherson. 

The  First  Battle  of  Atlanta. 

Very  early  on  the  morning  of  the  22d  of  July,  1864,  Lieutenant 
Willard  Warner,  of  General  Sherman's  staff,  came  to  the  head- 
quarters of  General  McPherson,  and  gave  the  following  instruc- 
tions from  General  Sherman  to  General  McPherson,  to-wit: 
"General  Sherman  believes  that  the  enemy  have  evacuated 
Atlanta,  and  desires  you  to  move  rapidly  forward  beyond  the  city 
toward  East  Point,  leaving  General  Dodge,  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps, 
upon  the  railroad,  to  destroy  it  effectually."  This  communication 
was  received  by  McPherson  with  a  great  deal  of  surprise,  and  he 
expressed,  without  reservation,  his  doubts  as  to  the  correctness  of 
the  report  of  the  evacuation.  However,  he  issued  an  order  to  me 
to  carry  out  the  instructions  received  from  General  Sherman.^ 

Not  satisfied,  however,  McPherson  immediately  ordered  his 
horse,  and  with  his  staff  started  to  ride  down  to  my  headquarters 
to  talk  over  the  instructions  which  he  had  already  given  me  in 
writing.  Before  he  arrived  at  my  headquarters,  however,  firing 
was  exchanged  between  our  own  and  the  enemy's  pickets.  In  a 
moment  General  McPherson  was  convinced  that  General  Sherman 


^  This  order  has  been  quoted  in  the  Memoir  of  General  Logan. — C.  A.  L. 


686  MILITARY  REMINISCENCE:^. 

was  mistaken  in  the  report  that  the  enemy  had  evacuated  Atlanta. 
McPherson  therefore  instructed  me  to  go  into  position  for  battle 
(though  I  had  already  prepared  my  troops  for  the  march),  regard- 
less of  the  order  issued  in  the  morning,  which  instruction  I  imme- 
diately commenced  to  carry  out,  my  command  going  into  line 
under  fire.  The  order  was  also  handed  to  General  Blair,  and  Gen- 
eral Dodge  was  directed  to  leave  the  railroad  and  with  all  possible 
dispatch  to  take  up  his  position  on  the  left  of  the  Seventeenth 
Corps,  in  order  to  protect  that  flank,  which  was  even  then  being 
turned  by  the  enemy,  in  the  absence  of  Garrard's  cavalry. 

In  the  meantime  McPherson  had  ridden  over  to  General  Sher- 
man's headquarters  and  reported  to  him  the  disposition  he  had 
made  of  his  troops,  in  violation  of  the  orders  of  the  morning,  and 
to  secure  the  assent  of  General  Sherman  to  his  course.  After  this 
he  rode  back  to  see  that  his  orders  to  Generals  Blair,  Dodge,  and 
to  me  were  being  promptly  and  correctly  carried  out.  The 
exposed  position  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  heretofore  referred  to, 
owing  to  the  absence  of  the  cavalry  under  Garrard,  had  not  been 
wholly  covered,  when  McPherson,  about  one  o'clock  (the  firing 
along  the  line  having  become  general),  rode  out  almost  alone,  his 
staff  all  being  occupied  in  the  execution  of  previous  orders.  In 
passing  through  a  narrow  bridle-path,  McPherson  came  upon  a 
body  of  the  enemy's  troops  —  a  stray  company  from  Claiborne's 
division  of  Hardee's  corps  —  lying  down  in  the  woods,  who,  upon 
seeing  him  approach,  immediately  arose,  and  commanded  him 
three  times  to  halt.  McPherson,  at  first  supposing  them  to  be 
some  of  his  own  troops,  lifted  his  hat  in  his  usual  courteous  man- 
ner, but,  at  once  perceiving  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  the 
enemy,  wheeled  his  horse,  when  he  was  immediately  fired  upon 
and  killed.  The  rebel  company  was  captured  afterward,  and  the 
facts  as  here  stated  were  given  by  the  officers  of  the  company. 
Colonel  Clark,  McPherson's  chief-of-staff,  hearing  the  firing, 
seeing  McPherson's  horse  come  back  riderless,  and  satisfied  that 
McPherson  was  either  killed  or' a  prisoner,  gave  orders  for  the  re- 


THE  FIRS  7'  BA  TTLE  OF  A  TLA  NT  A.  68/ 

covery  of  the  body,  then  rode  to  General  Sherman  and  reported 
the  facts,  and  was  directed  by  him  to  place  General  Logan  in  com- 
mand of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  I  being  the  ranking  officer 
present.  Before  leaving  General  Sherman,  Colonel  Clark  secured 
a  division  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  commanded  by  General  J.  D. 
Cox,  to  march  to  a  position  where  he  could  support  the  Army  of 
the  Tennessee  in  case  of  emergency.^ 

General  Sherman,  in  his  report  of  the  battle,  said: 
"On  the  morning  of  the  22nd,  somewhat  to  my  surprise,  this 
whole  line  [meaning  the  line  occupied  by  the  armies  on  the  day 
preceding]  was  found  abandoned,  and  I  confess  I  thought  the 
enemy  had  resolved  to  give  me  Atlanta  without  further  contest,  but 
as  General  Johnston  had  been  relieved  of  his  command  and  Gen- 
eral Hood  substituted,  a  new  policy  seemed  resolved  upon,  of  which 
the  bold  attack  upon  our  right  was  the  index.  Our  advanced  ranks 
swept  across  the  strong  and  well  finished  parapet  of  the  enemy, 
and  close  upon  Atlanta  we  occupied  aline  in  the  form  of  a  gen- 
eral circle  of  about  two  miles  radius,  when  we  again  found  him 
occupying  a  line  of  finished  redoubts  which  had  been  prepared  for 

^  General  Logan  assumed  command  just  as  the  engagement  of  that  day  be- 
came general,  and  in  person  gave  the  orders  and  made  disposition  of  the  troops 
that  achieved  victory  in  the  hardest-fought  battle  of  the  Atlanta  campaign. 

In  person  he  recovered  the  position  lost  by  the  right  of  his  corps,  and  recap- 
tured the  twenty-four-pound  Parrott  battery  of  Captain  De  Gress.  In  person,  too, 
he  directed  the  movement  of  the  troops  that  repelled  the  seven  successive  attacks 
of  the  enemy  upon  his  line;  and  not  until  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  when  the  weary 
soldiers  were  finally  at  rest,  did  he  leave  his  command  to  go  to  General  Sherman 
in  order  to  report  the  successes  of  the  day.  He  was  received  at  General  Sherman's 
headquarters  with  enthusiasm,  and  for  his  noble  conduct  during  the  critical  hours 
of  the  battle  he  was  complimented  in  the  highest  terms  by  the  General-in-Chief, 
and  assured,  as  General  Logan  has  frequently  related  to  the  editor,  of  the  perma- 
nent command  of  the  army,  which  he  had  upon  that  eventful  day  proved  himself 
fully  capable  to  lead. 

Of  this  memorable  battle  General  Grant  said  in  his  official  report:  "About 
one  P.M.  of  this  day  the  brave,  accomplished,  and  noble-hearted  McPherson  was 
killed.  General  Logan  succeeded  him  and  commanded  the  Army  of  the  Tennes- 
see throughout  its  desperate  battle,  and  until  he  was  superseded  by  Major-General 
Howard  on  the  27th,  with  the  same  success  and  ability  that  had  characterized  him 
in  the  command  of  a  corps  or  division." — C.  A.  L. 


688  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

more  than  a  year,  covering  all  the  roads  leading  into  Atlanta,  and 
after  that  we  met  him  also  busy  in  connecting  those  roads  with 
curtains  strengthened  by  rifle-trenched  abattis  and  chevaux  de  friseT 

The  report  of  General  Sherman  as  to  the  position  of  his  troops 
on  that  day  is  substantially  correct,  but  his  information  is  derived 
entirely  from  reports  of  subordinates,  because  he  was  not  on  any 
part  of  the  line  during  the  fight,  either  by  himself  or  by  staff.  He 
saj^s:  ''  I  rode  over  it,"  meaning  the  line,  "  the  next  day,  and  it  bore 
the  marks  of  a  bloody  conflict.  The  enemy  retired  during  the 
night  inside  of  Atlanta,  and  we  remained  masters  of  the  situation 
outside." 

In  referring  to  his  orders  to  me,  concerning  the  battle  of  the 
22nd,  General  Sherman  says  in  his  "Memoirs":  "I  soon  dispatched 
one  of  my  own  staff  to  General  Logan,  telling  him  to  refuse  his 
left  flank,  and  to  fight  the  battle  holding  fast  to  Leggett's  hill  with 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee;  that  I  would  personally  look  to  De- 
catur and  to  the  safety  of  his  rear,  and  would  reinforce  him  if  he 
needed  it,"  Decatur,  where  the  trains  were  parked,  was  seven 
miles  distant.^ 


1  The  opinion  has  been  expressed  in  military  circles  that  the  place  of  the 
General-in-Chief,  during  so  fierce  and  important  a  battle  as  that  of  the  22d,  was 
near  the  front,  to  supervise  the  conflict  then  raging,  instead  of  at  the  rear,  among 
the  quartermasters,  commissaries,  and  other  non-combatants.  This  opinion 
seems  to  be  strengthened  by  the  circumstance  that  the  able  commander  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee  had  been  killed,  and  his  place  had  been  assumed  by  a 
volunteer — or,  to  put  it  more  broadly,  by  a  "  political  general" — whom  the  General- 
in-Chief  failed  to  promote  to  the  permanent  command  of  the  army  that  had  won 
victory  under  him  on  the  22d,  because,  as  the  General-in-Chief  alleged  ten  years 
afterward,  he  did  not  consider  the  volunteer  General  equal  to  the  command  of 
three  corps.  The  consequences  of  rebel  success  in  the  battle  then  in  progress 
would  have  been  most  disastrous  to  the  Union  cause  ;  and  in  leaving  the  issue  to 
an  officer  incompetent  to  handle  so  many  troops,  the  General-in-Chief,  by  the  irre- 
sistible logic  of  the  facts,  was  guilty  either  of  a  grave  error,  or  of  a  great  injustice. 
If  General  Logan  were  incompetent  to  discharge  the  trust,  as  alleged  in  the  "  Mem- 
oirs" of  General  Sherman,  the  General-in-Chief  was  highly  censurable  in  commit- 
ting the  direction  of  the  battle  to  him.  But  if  the  General-in-Chief  were  justified, 
by  reason  of  General  Logan's  ability,  in  committing  the  direction  of  a  battle  that 
might  have  been  the  turning-point  of  the  Western  campaign  to  the  single  hands  of 


THE  FIRST  BA  TTLE  OE  A  'ELANTA.  689 

The  battle  of  Atlanta,  fought  on  the  22ncl  of  Jul}^,  1864,  must 
be  recorded  as  one  of  the  "decisive  battles  of  the  war" — ;in  fact, 
the  only  decisive  battle  in  1864.  It  resulted  in  the  fall  of  Atlanta 
and  enabled  General  Sherman  to  accomplish  his  march  to  the  sea. 

My  report  of  the  battle  of  the  22nd  of  July  is  as  follows: 

"  Headquarters  Department  and  Army  ok  the  Tennessee, 
"  Before  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  24,  18C4. 

"  General :  I  have  the  honor  to  report  the  following  summary  of  the  result  of 
the  battle  of  the  22d  inst.  :  Total  loss  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  three 
thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty-one  (3,521),  and  ten  (10)  pieces  of  artillery  lost. 
We  have  buried  and  delivered  to  the  enemy,  under  a  flag  of  truce  sent  by  them,  in 
front  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  one  thousand  (1,000)  of  their  killed  ;  the  number 
of  their  dead  in  front  of  the  Fourth  Division  of  the  same  corps,  including  those  on 
ground  not  now  occupied  by  our  troops.  General  Blair  reports  will  swell  the  num- 
ber of  their  dead  on  his  front  to  two  thousand  (2,000).  The  number  of  dead  buried 
in  front  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  up  to  this  hour,  is  three  hundred  and  sixty  (360), 
and  the  commanding  officer  reports  at  least  as  many  more  unburied.  The  number 
of  dead  buried  in  front  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps  was  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
two  (422). 

"We  have  over  one  thousand  (1,000)  of  their  wounded  in  our  hands  ;  a  large 
number  of  the  wounded  having  been  carried  off  during  the  night  of  the  engage- 
ment by  them. 

"We  captured  eighteen  stands  of  colors,  and  have  them  now;  we  also  cap- 
tured five  thousand  (5,000)  stands  of  arms. 

"  The  attack  was  made  on  our  line  seven  times,  and  was  seven  times  repulsed. 
Hood's,  Hardee's,  and  Wheeler's  cavalry  engaged  us.  We  have  sent  to  the  rear 
one  thousand  (r,ooo)  prisoners,  including  thirty-seven  (37)  commissioned  officers 
of  high  rank.     We  still  occupy  the  field,  and  the  troops  are  in  fine  spirits. 

"Our  total  loss  is  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty-one  (3,521),  the 
enemy's  dead  thus  far  reported,  buried  or  delivered  to  them,  is  three  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty-two  (3,222).  Total  prisoners  sent  north,  one  thousand 
and  seventeen  (1,017);  total  prisoners  wounded  in  our  hands,  one  thousand  (1,000); 
estimated  loss  of  the  enemy,  ten  thousand  two  hundred  (10,200). 
"Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"John  A.  Logan,  Major-General. 

"To  Major-General  W.  T.  Sherman,  Commanding  Military  Division  of  the 
Mississippi." 

The  actual  loss  of  the  enemy  was,  however,  acknowledged  to 
be  greater  than  the  number  indicated  in  my  report. 


General  Logan,  the  General-in-Chief  was  no  less  censurable  in  openly  maligning 
*he  military  character  of  one  of  the  most  distinguished  soldiers  of  the  Republic. — 
C.  A.  L. 


690  MILITARY  REI^IINISCENCES. 

The  time  was  occupied  until  the  26th  in  reorganizing  the  vari- 
ous commands,  in  performing  the  last  offices  to  the  gallant  dead, 
and  in  preparing  for  another  movement,  Avhich  was  by  the  flank, 
though  this  time  to  the  right.  It  is  but  truth  to  say  that  a  more 
difficult  and  delicate  movement  of  the  army  was  not  undertaken 
during  the  war.  The  enemy  were  intrenched  closely  in  our  front, 
almost  within  speaking  distance  on  many  parts  of  the  line,  when 
the  order  came  from  General  Sherman  to  withdraw  under  cover 
of  the  night  from  our  position,  and  move  the  three  corps  seven 
miles  to  the  right.  It  was  necessary  to  deceive  the  enemy  entirely 
as  to  this  movement,  and  the  wheels  of  the  gun-carriages  and 
caissons  were  bound  with  whisps  of  hay  and  straw,  in  order  that 
the  utmost  silence  might  prevail  as  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
moved  out  from  this  position.  I  was  in  the  saddle  all  night,  and 
with  my  staff  personally  superintended  the  movement  of  every 
corps  which  drew  out  from  its  position,  until  all  were  withdrawn 
without  the  slightest  confusion.  By  daylight  on  the  morning  of 
the  27  th,  the  three  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  were  safely 
upon  their  respective  roads,  prepared  to  go  into  their  new  positions, 
and  this  without  any  casualty,  while  the  enemy  was  left  in  complete 
ignorance  of  the  withdrawal.^ 


1  Great  praise  must  be  given  to  General  Logan  for  the  military  skill  that  he 
exhibited  upon  that  occasion.  When  it  is  considered  that  the  darkness  of  the 
night  required  the  entire  command  almost  to  feel  its  way  —  it  being  impracticable 
to  use  any  light,  even  that  of  a  torch,  to  guide  the  troops  —  the  movement  was 
certainly  or  -^  of  the  most  remarkable  of  any  made  during  the  war,  not  except- 
ing those  made  by  oflBcers  graduated  from  West  Point.  Worn  by  anxiety 
resulting  from  the  responsibility  of  the  command  so  suddenly  davolved  upon 
him  during  the  battle  of  the  22d,  and  wearied  by  the  labor  of  the  night  move- 
ment above  related  in  face  of  the  enemy.  General  Logan  was  informed  on  the 
morning  of  the  27th,  at  the  White  House,  where  General  Sherman  was  quar- 
tered, that  General  O.  O.  Howard  had  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  announcement  of  General 
Howard's  assignment  was  not  enthusiastically  received,  though  the  army,  proba- 
bly, had  no  personal  objection  to  him.  Without  a  word  General  Logan  resumed 
Command  of  his  old  corps  (the  Fifteenth),  and  during  the  27th  he  went  into  posi- 
tion on  the  right  of  the  line.  General  Blair  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps  being  on 
his  left,  while  General  Dodge,  of  the  Sixteenth,  was  upon  the  left  flank. — C.  A.  L. 


The  Second  Battle  of  Atlanta. 


THE  SECOND  BA  TTLE  OF  A  TLANTA.  69 1 


The  Second  Battle  of  Atlanta. 

Rain  poured  in  torrents  as  the  army  took  up  its  position  upon 
that  day,  and  it  was  late  in  the  evening  before  the  troops  were  all 
deployed.  Again  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  was,  by  its  right 
flank,  "in  air."  The  enemy  was  again  discovered  late  in  the  day 
upon  that  fiank,  and  as  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  could  not  reach 
so  as  to  secure  a  position  not  easily  turned,  General  Sherman 
ordered  General  Jeff.  C.  Davis  with  his  division  to  move  at  once 
to  support  the  right  flank. 

The  morning' of  the  28th  found  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee 
again  confronting  the  enemy.  Hardly  had  the  Fifteenth  Corps 
thrown  up  their  earth-works,  with  logs  and  rails  covering  the 
front,  when  Hood  came  at  us  again.  By  eleven  o'clock  the  fight- 
ing became  general  along  the  entire  line,  and  then  there  occurred 
another  desperate  battle  in  which  my  brave  Fifteenth  Corps  was 
exclusively  engaged,  for,  though  two  or  three  brigades  from  the 
Seventeenth  bad  been  ordered  to  its  support,  circumstances  ren- 
dered it  unnecessary  for  the  latter  to  take  any  part  in  the  general 
engagement.  Six  times  did  the  enemy  deploy  from  the  woods  in 
our  front;  six  times,  with  words  of  encouragement  and  threats 
from  their  commanding  officers,  did  they  march  up  to  receive  the 
deadly  fire  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  and  as  many  times  were  they 
repulsed.  Perhaps  in  the  history  of  the  war  there  was  never  more 
persistent  and  desperate  gallantry  displayed  upon  the  part  of  the 
rebels.  Their  defeat  was  complete,  and  the  reports  of  the  fight 
show  that  the  gallant  Fifteenth  Corps  was  chiefly  entitled  to  the 
credit  of  the  victory  of  July  28th.* 

The  following  is  my  official  report  of  the  battle: 


1  General  Sherman  says  in  his  report  of  this  battle:  "General  Logan  on  this 
occasion  was  conspicuous,  as  on  the  22nd,  his  corps  being  chiefly  engaged,  but 
General  Howard  had  drawn  from  the  other  corps,  the  Sixteenth  and  Seventeenth, 
certain  reserves  which  were  near  at  hand  but  not  used." — C.  A.  L. 


692  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

"Headquarters  Fifteenth  Armst  Corps, 

"  Before  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  29,  1864. 

'^Colonel:  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  in  pursuance  of  orders  I  moved 
my  command  into  position  on  the  right  of  the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps,  which  was 
the  extreme  right  of  the  army  in  the  field  on  the  night  and  morning  of  the  27th 
and  28th  inst.,  and  during  my  advance  in  line  of  battle  to  a  more  desirable  posi- 
tion we  were  met  by  the  rebel  infantry  from  Hood's  and  Lee's  corps,  who  made 
a  desperate  and  determined  attack  at  half  past  eleven  o'clock  of  the  morning  of 
the  28th. 

"  My  lines  were  only  protected  by  logs  and  rails  hastily  thrown  in  front  of 
them.  The  first  onset  was  received  and  checked,  and  the  battle  commenced  and 
lasted  until  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  During  that  time  six  successive 
attacks  were  made,  which  were  six  times  gallantly  repulsed,  and  each  time  with 
fearful  loss  to  the  enemy.  Later  in  the  evening  my  lines  were  several  times 
assaulted  vigorously,  but  each  assault  terminated  with  like  result.  The  most 
of  the  fighting  occurred  on  General  Harrow's  and  Smith's  fronts,  which  formed 
the  center  and  right  of  the  line.  The  troops  could  not  have  displayed  more  cour- 
age nor  greater  determination  not  to  yield.  Had  they  shown  less  they  would 
have  been  driven  from  their  position.  Brigadier-General  Wood's,  Harrow's  and 
Smith's  division  commands  are  entitled  to  great  credit  for  gallant  conduct  and 
skill  in  repelling  the  assaults.  My  thanks  are  due  to  Major-Generals  Blair  and 
Dodge  for  sending  me  reinforcements  at  a  time  when  they  were  much  needed. 
My  loss  was  fifty  killed,  four  hundred  and  thirty-nine  wounded,  and  eighty-three 
missing  —  aggregate,  five  hundred  and  seventy-two. 

"The  division  of  General  Harrow  captured  five  battle-flags.  There  were 
about  one  thousand  five  hundred  or  two  thousand  muskets  captured  ;  one  hundred 
and  six  prisoners  were  taken,  exclusive  of  seventy-three  wounded  who  have  been 
removed  to  hospitals  and  are  being  taken  care  of  by  our  surgeons.  Five  hundred 
and  sixty-five  rebels  up  to  this  time  have  been  buried,  and  about  two  hundred  are 
supposed  to  be  yet  unburied.  Large  numbers  were  undoubtedh'  carried  away 
during  the  night,  as  the  enemy  did  not  retire  until  nearly  daylight.  The  enemy's 
loss  could  not  have  been,  in  my  judgment,  less  than  six  or  seven  thousand. 
"  I  am  very  respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

"John  A.  Logan, 
"  Major-General  Commanding  Fifteenth  Army  Corps. 
"To  Lieutenant-Colonel  W.  T.  Clark,  Assistant  Adjutant-General." 

The  indorsement  upon  the  report  is  as  follows:^ 

"Headquarters  Department  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee, 

"  Before  Atlanta,  Ga.,  July  29,  1864. 
"  In  forwarding  the  within  report  I  wish  to  express  my  high  gratification  with 
the  conduct  of  the  troops  engaged.     I  never  saw  better  conduct  in  battle. 


1  The  suggestion  seems  natural  that  the  officer  that  was  acknowledged  by  both 
of  his  superiors  to  have  been  the  principal  actor  in  two  of  the  most  decisive,  and, 
in  fact,  in  the  only  battles  of  the  Atlanta  Campaign,  must  have  been  qualified  to 
command  permanently  the  army  which  he  had  successfully  led  to  victory. — C.  A.  L. 


THE  BATTLE    OE  JOyESBORO.  693 

"  The  General  commanding  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  though  ill  and  much 
worn  out,  was  indefatigable,  and  the  success  of  the  day  is  as  much  attributed  to 
him  as  to  any  one  man.  His  oHTicers,  and  in  fact  all  the  officers  of  his  army  that 
commanded  my  observation,  cooperated  promptly  and  heartily  with  him. 

"  O.  O.  How.\RD,  Major-General." 

JONESBORO. 

What  General  Sherman  has  called  his  flank  movement  was  now 
to  take  place.  Failing  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat  by  the  use  of 
his  cavalry,  the  General-in-Chief  determined  to  throw  his  whole 
army  upon  the  railroad  south  of  Atlanta.  The  method  of  accom- 
plishing this  result  has  been  indicated  by  General  Sherman  in  his 
*'  Memoirs." 

Again  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  had  the  wide  swing,  outside, 
and  traveled  the  greater  distance,  and  again  struck  the  enemy  first. 

The  several  columns  moved  on  the  29th  of  August  —  the  Fif- 
teenth Corps  in  advance  —  and  passed  the  Renfo.  place,  at  which 
point  the  orders  were  to  stop.  I  pushed  forward,  saved  the  bridge 
across  Flint  River,  and  went  into  position  within  half  a  mile  of 
Jonesboro. 

On  the  31st,  I  went  into  a  fortified  position,  and  was  attacked 
by  Lee's  and  Hardee's  corps.  After  two  hours'  hard  fighting,  we 
repulsed  the  enemy,  who  withdrev/,  leaving  four  hundred  dead  on 
the  field,  his  total  loss  being  over  twenty-five  hundred,  as  admitted 
at  the  time. 

General  Sherman,  in  his  report,  says:  "  Hearing  sounds  of  bat- 
tle at  Jonesboro  about  noon,  orders  were  renewed  to  push  the  other 
movements  of  the  left  and  center,  and  about  4  p.  m.  the  report  ar- 
rived that  General  Howard  had  utterly  repulsed  the  enemy  at 
Jonesboro."  ^ 


1  It  appears  from  this  narration  that  General  Logan,  with  the  Fifteenth  Corps, 
fought  another  battle,  with  the  results  which  had  been  previously  obtained  on  the 
22d  and  28th  of  July;  and  that  upon  this  occasion  the  engagement  was  commenced 
and  terminated  without  the  knowledge  of  the  General-in-Chief,  other  than  that 
conveyed  to  him  by  the  victorious  guns  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps.  General 
Howard,  to  whom  the  credit  is  given,  had  no  suspicion,  even,  of  the  movement. — 
C.  A.  L. 


694  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

As  usual,  the  enemy  disappeared  before  morning.  He  made  a 
stand  at  Lovejo5'''s  Station.  We  followed  him  to  that  point,  and 
again  had  him  in  flank.  I  wished  to  attack  him  again,  in  order  to 
achieve,  if  it  were  possible,  what  the  army  had  failed  to  accomplish 
on  the  31st,  by  reason  of  the  want  of  cooperation  of  the  other 
troops;  but,  in  the  meantime  Atlanta  had  fallen,  and  the  General- 
in-Chief  decided  to  fall  back.  We  then  went  into  camp  at  Atlanta, 
with  the  purpose  to  prepare  for  an  excursion  through  Georgia,  to 
the  sea. 

Capture  of  Fort  McAllister. 

It  remains  to  make  mere  mention  of  the  last  engagement  of 
the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps,  so  long  commanded  by  me.  It  is  a  fact 
worthy  of  note  that  the  troops  composing  this  corps  were  origi- 
nally organized  at  Belmont  and  took  part  in  the  engagement  at 
that  place.  There  was  never  any  distinct  change  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  command  from  that  time  until  it  was  mustered  out  in 
1865.  The  men  and  officers  came  to  know  and  love  each  other,  and 
to  form  attachments  which  have  never  been  broken. 

General  Hazen's  Division  of  the  old  Fifteenth  Corps  captured 
Fort  McAllister,  which  gave  us  Savannah.  This  was  the  last  im- 
portant engagement  in  which  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  partici- 
pated during  the  war. 

After  my  arrival  in  camp,  at  Atlanta,  the  following  congratula- 
tory order  was  issued: 

"Headquarters  Fifteenth  Army  Corps, 

"  East  Point,  Ga.,  Sept.  11,  1864. 
"  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps: 

"  You  have  borne  your  part  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  object  of  this  cam- 
paign, a  part  well  and  faithfully  done. 

"On  the  1st  day  of  May,  1864,  from  Huntsville,  Ala.,  and  its  vicinity,  you 
commenced  the  march.  The  marches  and  labors  performed  by  you  during  this 
campaign  will  hardly  find  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  war.  The  proud  name  hereto- 
fore acquired  by  the  Fifteenth  Corps  for  soldierly  bearing  and  daring  deeds  remains 
untarnished  —  its  luster  undimmed.  During  the  campaign  you  constituted  the 
main  portion  of  the  flanking  column  of  the  whole  army.  Your  first  move  against 
the  enemy  was  around  the  right  of  the  army  at  Resaca,  where,  by  your  gallantry. 


GEN.  LOGAN'S  CONGRATULATORY  ORDER.  695 

the  enemy  were  driven  from  the  hills  and  his  works  on  the  main  road  from  Vila- 
now  to  Resaca.  On  the  retreat  of  the  enemy,  you  moved  on  the  right  flank  of  the 
army  by  a  circuitous  route  to  Adairsville,  in  the  same  manner  from  there  to 
Kingston  and  Dallas,  where,  on  the  28th  day  of  May,  you  met  the  veteran  corps 
of  Hardee,  and  in  a  severe  and  bloody  contest  you  hurled  him  back,  killing  and 
wounding  over  two  thousand,  besides  capturing  a  large  number  of  prisoners.  You 
then  moved  around  to  the  left  of  the  army,  by  way  of  Acworth,  to  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  where  again  you  met  the  enemy,  driving  him  from  three  lines  of  works, 
capturing  over  three  hundred  prisoners.  During  your  stay  in  front  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  on  the  27th  of  June,  you  made  one  of  the  most  daring,  bold,  and  heroic 
charges  of  the  war,  against  the  almost  impregnable  position  of  the  enemy  on 
Little  Kenesaw.  You  were  then  moved,  by  way  of  Marietta,  to  Nickajack  Creek, 
on  the  right  of  the  army;  thence  back  to  the  extreme  left  by  way  of  Marietta  and 
Roswell,  to  the  Augusta  Railroad,  near  Stone  Mountain,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles, 
and  after  effectually  destroying  the  railroad  at  this  point,  you  moved  by  way  of 
Decatur  to  the  immediate  front  of  the  rebel  stronghold,  Atlanta.  Here,  on  the 
22d  day  of  July,  you  again  performed  your  duty  nobly  'as  patriots  and  soldiers ' 
in  one  of  the  most  severe  and  sanguinary  conflicts  of  the  campaign.  With  hardly 
time  to  recover  your  almost  exhausted  energies,  you  were  moved  around  again  to 
the  right  of  the  army,  only  to  encounter  the  same  troops  against  whom  you  had 
so  recently  contended,  and  the  battle  of  the  28th  of  July,  at  Ezra  Chapel,  will 
long  be  remembered  by  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  this  command.  On  that  day 
it  was  that  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  almost  unaided  and  alone,  for  four  hours  contested 
the  field  against  the  corps  of  Hardee  and  Lee.  You  drove  them  discomfited  from 
the  field,  causing  them  to  leave  their  dead  and  many  of  their  wounded  in  your 
hands.  The  many  noble  and  gallant  deeds  performed  by  you  on  that  day  will  be 
remembered  among  the  proudest  acts  of  our  nation's  history.  After  pressing  the 
enemy  closely  for  several  days,  you  again  moved  to  the  right  of  the  army,  to  the 
West  Point  Railroad,  near  Fairburn.  After  completely  destroying  the  road  for 
some  distance,  you  marched  to  Jonesboro,  driving  the  enemy  before  you  from 
Pond  Creek,  a  distance  of  ten  miles.  At  this  point  you  again  met  the  enemy, 
composed  of  Lee's  and  Hardee's  corps,  on  the  31st  of  August,  and  punished  them 
severely,  driving  them  in  confusion  from  the  field,  with  their  dead  and  many 
wounded  and  prisoners  left  in  your  hands.  Here  again  by  your  skill  and  true 
courage  you  kept  sacred  the  reputation  you  have  so  long  maintained,  viz.  :  "The 
Fifteenth  Corps  never  meets  the  enemy  but  to  strike  and  defeat  him."  On  the  ist 
of  September,  the  Fourteenth  Corps  attacked  Hardee  ;  you  at  once  opened  fire  on 
him,  and  by  your  cooperation  his  defeat  became  a  rout.  Hood,  hearing  the  news, 
blew  up  his  ammunition  trains,  retreated,  and  Atlanta  ivas  otirs. 

"You  have  marched  during  the  campaign,  in  your  windings,  the  distance  of 
four  hundred  miles,  have  put  '^ hors  du  combat'  more  of  the  enemy  than  your 
corps  numbers,  have  captured  twelve  stands  of  colors,  2,450  prisoners,  and  210 
deserters. 

"  The  course  of  your  march  is  marked  by  the  graves  of  patriotic  heroes  who 
have  fallen  by  your  side;  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  more  plainly  marked  by  the 
blood  of  traitors  who  have  defied  the  Constitution  and  laws,  and  insulted  and 
trampled  under  foot  the  glorious  flag  of  our  country. 


696  MILITARY  REMINISCENCES. 

"  We  deeply  sympathize  with  the  friends  of  those  of  our  comrades-in-arms  who 
have  fallen;  our  sorrows  are  only  appeased  by  the  knowledge  that  they  fell  as  brave 
men,  battling  for  the  preservation  and  perpetuation  of  one  of  the  best  govern- 
ments of  earth.     '  Peace  be  to  their  ashes.' 

"  You  now  rest  for  a  short  time  from  your  labors.  During  the  respite  prepare 
for  future  action.  Let  your  country  see  at  all  times  by  your  conduct  that  you 
love  the  cause  you  have  espoused;  that  you  have  no  sympathy  with  any  who 
would  by  word  or  deed  assist  vile  traitors  in  dismembering  our  mighty  Republic 
or  trailing  in  the  dust  the  emblem  of  our  national  greatness  and  glory.  You  are 
the  defenders  of  a  Government  that  has  blessed  you  heretofore  with  peace,  happi- 
ness, and  prosperity.  Its  perpetuity  depends  upon  your  heroism,  faithfulness, 
and  devotion. 

"When  the  time  shall  come  to  go  forward  again,  let  us  go  with  the  determina- 
tion to  save  our  nation  from  threatened  wreck  and  hopeless  ruin,  not  forgetting 
the  appeal  from  widows  and  orphans  that  is  borne  to  us  upon  every  breeze  to 
avenge  the  loss  of  their  loved  ones  who  have  fallen  in  defense  of  their  country. 
Be  patient,  obedient,  and  earnest,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  you  can  re- 
turn to  your  homes  with  the  proud  consolation  that  you  have  assisted  in  causing 
the  old  banner  to  again  wave  from  every  mountain's  top  and  over  every  town  and 
hamlet  of  our  once  happy  land,  and  hear  the  shouts  of  triumph  ascend  from  a 
grateful  people,  proclaiming  that  once  more  we  have  one  flag  and  one  country. 

"  John  A.  Logan, 
"  Major-General  Commanding." 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Academies  at  West  Point  and  An- 
napolis    should     be     finishing- 
schools  605 

Academies,    Military    and    Naval, 

overcrowding  of 610 

Absurd  legislation  to  remedy.   611 
Academies,     the     National,     com- 
ments upon 328 

Academy,  Military,  early  sugges- 
tion of 121 

President  Washington  upon. . .   122 
Action  to  establish,  in  1776  ...   157 
Opinions  of  army  officers  upon.   158 
Secretary    McHenry  urges  es- 
tablishment of 191 

Act  creating  the 201 

President  Jefferson  upon 214 

Report  of  Col.  Williams  upon.   214 

Effect  of  War  of  18 12  upon 219 

President  Madison  upon 219 

Report  upon,  by  Bernard  and 

McRae 223 

John  C.  Calhoun  upon 224 

Attempts  to  abolish  the 225 

Acts  of  Congress  relating  to. . .   227 

Laws  governing  the 229 

Financial  aspect  of 240 

Academy,    Naval,    first    move    to- 
ward     268 

First  official  suggestion  for. . .   266 
History  of  in  the  United  States  264 
Recommendation  for  at  Gov- 
ernor's Island 274 

Action  of  William  Jones  upon  269 

Smith  Thompson  upon 270 

Congress  on  bill  for 277 


Page. 

Samuel  Southard  upon 271 

President  Adams  upon 293 

Secretary  Upshur  upon 294 

Senator  Bayard  upon 300 

Bill  introduced  for 276 

Action  of  Congress  on  the  bill  277 

Watmough's  report  upon 286 

Secretary  Branch  upon 2S1 

Established  by  Bancroft 308 

Author's  comments  upon 313 

Congressional  recognition  of.  316 

Table  of  expense  of 317 

Annual  expense  of,  in  detail..  320 

Rules  and  regulations  of 321 

Memorial  of  officers  for 288 

Act   of   April   29,    1812,    the    real 
charter  of  the  Military  Academy  ; 

text  of 221 

Act  of  March  16,  1802,  establishing 

Military  Academy  ;  text  of 201 

Author's  comments  upon 210 

Acts    of  Congress  relating  to  the 

Military  Academy 227 

Alexander  the  Great,  case  of,  cited.   120 

Anderson,  General  Robert 453 

Andr6,  Major,  the  British  sp)'^,  cap- 
tured by  volunteers 113 

Andrews,   General  G.  L 449 

Appeal  to  people  in  behalf  of  vol- 
unteers    598 

Appointments  to  West  Point  and 

Annapolis,  objections  to  stated.  426 
Appropriations  for  Military  Acad- 
emy for  1885  and  1S86 242 

Naval  Academ3%  total 317 

Aristocracy,    charge     of,      against 
697 


698 


INDEX. 


West  Point 399 

Colonel       Totten's        defense 

against  charge  of 400 

The  author's  comments  upon. .  405 
Army,    how    vacancies    in    second 

lieutenancies  are  filled 234 

Army    officers,  list    of,    deserting 

the  Union  cause 342,  351 

Army  of  the  Tennessee,  organiza- 
tion of 644 

Army,  politics  of 435 

The,  not  well-informed 437 

Arnold,  Benedict,  personal  charac- 
ter of 112 

Treason  of I13 

Artillerists  and  engineers,  act  cre- 
ating a  corps  of 171 

Additional  regiment  provided 

for 173 

Atlanta,  first  battle  of 685 

Campaign 679 

Second  battle  of 6gi 

Batteries  at  Donelson 659 

Bainbridge,  Commodore,  sketch  of  536 
Bancroft,     Secretary,     establishes 

naval  school 308 

Instruction  of  to  superintend- 
ent   310 

Report  of  to  Congress 312 

Barney,        Commodore        Joshua, 

sketch  of 538 

Barnacle,  the  Government 279 

Baum,  British  General,  note  of  . . .   107 
Bayard,    Senator,    report  and   bill 

of,  concerning  naval  school 300 

Beauregard's  report  of  Elliott  cav- 
alry raid 672 

Belmont,  battle  of 619 

Benham,  General  H.  W 447 

Birney,  General  D.  B.,  sketch  of..   568 

Blair,  General  F.  P 568,  679 

Blunt,  General  James  G 570 

Bon    Homme    Richard    and     Paul 
Jones 511 


Page. 
Bomford,   G i  443 

Braddock,  General,  case  of 574 

Mistake  of 492 

Washington's  opinion  of  .... .  492 
Branch,  Secretary  of  Navy,   action 

of,  on  Naval  Academy 281 

Brewerton,  H.  W 450 

Breyman,  British  General 107 

Brown,  General  Jacob 546 

Buchanan,  Franklin,  record  of  ... ,   314 

Buell,  General  Don  Carlos 626 

Burgoyne,  General  John,  descrip- 
tion of lOI 

Expedition  of 102 

Expedition,      its    object    and 

equipment 103 

Progress  and  defeat  of  expedi- 
tion    104 

Description  of  actors  in  expe- 
dition of 107 

Sketch  of 494 

Butler,  General  B.  F 570 

At  Fort  Fisher 563 

Burnside,  General  A.  E 453 

Cadet   appointments  must   be    re- 
moved from  politics 603 

Cadet,    grade    of,    established    in 

United  States  army 172 

Definition  of  the  word 173 

Cadets,    political   nature    of    their 
appointment 428 

Cadres,    basis    of    army    organiza- 
tion   463 

C3esar,  case  cited 120 

Caesarism,  opportunities  for  in  late 
war 407 

Cairo  as  a  military  point 619 

Cameron,     Secretary,     report     of, 
upon  absconding  army  officers. .   335 

Captures     by    American    navy   in 
1812 516 

Casey,  General   T.  L 449 

Caste,  or  class-distinction 382 

In  Southern  States 396 


INDEX. 


699 


As  a  cause  of  Rebellion 397 

At  West  Point 317,  399 

Causes  of  the  Rebellion 86 

Champion  Hills,  battle  of 677 

Grant's  report  of 677 

Chauncey,  Captain,  on  Lakes  Erie 

and  Ontario 521 

Sketch  of 531 

Citizen-soldier,  the  American,  gen- 
eral view  of 81 

Clark,  Colonel  W.  1 686,  687,  692 

Clay,  General  Greene 546 

Colonists,  the,  as  soldiers 461 

Commissioners,  American,  in  Eu- 
rope,   difficulties    of,   dissipated 

after  Burgoyne's  defeat 106 

Comstock,  C.  B 450 

Constellation,  victory  of,  over  V In- 

surgcjite 511 

Constitution,    victory   of,    over  the 

Guen'iere 512,   520 

Conway,  General  Thomas  S.,  con- 
spirator against  Washington. . . .   505 

Cabal,  the 505 

Cook's  brigade  at  Donelson 659 

Corcoran,  Colonel  Michael,  sketch 

of 569 

Corinth,  siege  of 661 

Cornwallis,    the    British    General, 

sketch  of 488 

Courage,  the  true,  of  the  soldier...  469 
Courts-martial  and  courts-judicial.  416 

Cox,  General  J.  D 567 

Croghan,  Captain  George 546 

Cruft's  brigade  at  Donelson 656 

Cyrus,  the  Persian,  case  of,  cited. .   120 

Dallas,  light  at 681 

Danger,  men  become  accustomed  to  468 
Dangers,  possible,  of  a  small  mili- 
tary establishment 455 

Davis,  General  Jeff,  C 567 

Davis,  Jefferson 453 

Decatur,      Commodore      Stephen, 
sketch  of 533 


Page. 
Democracy,  course  of,  among  na- 
tions       83 

Department,  West  Point  a  military  261 
Discipline,       military,      views      of 
Scipio,    Caesar,     Livy,    Vegetius, 

and  Machiavel  upon 194 

Dix,  General  John  A.,  sketch  of. . .   569 

Dodge,  General  G.  M 679,  685 

Donelson,  capture  of 638 

Description  of  Fort 642 

Dupont,  Admiral 539,  572 

Du  Pont,   H.  A 450 

Early,  General  Jubal 453 

Education,  military,  drawbacks  of.  574 

Elliott's  raid  beyond  Corinth 669 

England,  military  schools  of 601 

Essex,  the 514 

Ewing,  General  Thomas 570 

Fairchild,  General  Lucius 570 

Farragut,  Admiral 539,  572 

Financial  aspect  of  Military  Acad- 
emy; total  cost  of,  from  beginning  240 
Fisher,  Fort,  comments  upon  affair 

of 575 

Fisher,  Fort,  the  affair  of 562 

Foote,  Admiral  A.  H 539,  572,  628 

Force,  General  M.  F 570,  647 

France,  military  schools  of  . .  .476,  600 

Franklin,  General  W.  B 448 

Fremont,  General  J.  C. . .  619,  620,  621 

Superseded 626 

French,   the,   sympathy  of   Ameri- 
cans for 475 

Garfield,  James  A 570 

Gates,  General  Horatio,  sketch  of.  496 
Gates,  Horatio,  American  General, 

sketch  of 107 

Gearjr,  John  W 570 

Genius,  nature  and  tendency  of. .   120 

Gilmore,  General  Q.  A 449 

Goldsborough,  Admiral 539,  572 

Goll,  British  General,  note  of 107 


70Q 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Part  of,  in  Burgoyne's  defeat.   107 
Government  in  general,  forms  of.   377 
Graduates   from    Naval   Academy, 

list  of 372 

West  Point  Academy,  list  of.   246 

Graham,  General   C.  K 564 

Grant  and  Lee,  comparison  between  409 
Grant,  General,  military  foreshad- 

owings  of 493 

Grant,  General  U.  S 

434-  453,  561.  563,  564 

At  Belmont 619 

At  Fort  Henry ............  628 

At  Donelson 638 

Bad  treatment  by  Halleck. . . .  661 
Report  of  battle  at  Port  Gibson  676 
Report  of  battle  of  Champion 

Hills 677 

Report  of  battle  of  Atlanta 687 

Under  our  present  military  sys- 
tem    611 

Greene,  Nathaniel,  as  a  volunteer, 

sketch  of 484 

Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  treaty  of 480 

Gun-boats  at  Fort  Henry 630 

Hale,  Captain  Nathan,  the  martyr.   504 

Halleck,  General  H.  W 626 

Succeeds  Hunter 626 

Halleck,  General  H.  W.,  asperses 

General  Pope 671 

Halleck,  General  H.  W.,  at  Corinth  661 
Unjust   treatment   of    General 

Grant 662 

His  absurd  mistake  at  Corinth  662 
Persecution  of  General  Grant..  661 
Famous  report  from  Pope....  671 
Absurd  dispatches  to  Govern- 
ment    673 

Hamilton,     Alexander,     Secretary 

McHenry's  paper  attributed  to. .  267 
Hamilton,  British  General,  note  of  107 
Hamilton,       General       Alexander, 

sketch  of 499 

Hancock,  General  W.  S 453 


Page. 
Harrison,  General  W.   H.,   sketch 

of 541 

Hartranft,  John  F. , 570 

Heintzelman,  General 453 

Henry,  Fort,  capture  of 626 

Herkimer,    General   N.,    opposing 

Burgoyne 497 

High-class    graduates   from    West 

Point,  table  of 246 

High  classmen  of  West  Point,  ca- 
reer of 443 

Hooker,   General  Joseph 453 

Hornet,   the,   under   Captain   Law- 
rence    519. 

Horse  artillery,  McHenry's  history 

of 188 

Howard,  General  O.  O.  ;  tribute  to 

General  Logan  at  Atlanta 692 

Hudson  River,  early  attempt  to  for- 
tify       99 

Renewed  efforts  to  fortify  after 

Burgoyne's  surrender io8' 

Washington's  letter  to  General 
Putnam  upon  the  subject  of 

fortifying 10& 

Report  of  committee  upon  for- 
tification of no 

Erection  of  Fort  Arnold,  after- 
ward Fort  Clinton Ill 

Construction  of  chain  and  boom 

to  obstruct  the 112 

Hull,  Captain  Isaac,  sketch  of,  534,  535 
Hunter,  General  D 453 

Jackson,   General   Andrew,   sketch 

of 544 

Jackson,  General  Stonewall 453 

Java,  the  English  ship,  captured  . .  519 
Jefferson,  President  Thomas,  urges 

organization  of  militia 155 

Jefferson,    President,   his    message 

upon  the  Military  Academy 214 

Johnson,     Colonel      Richard     M., 

sketch  of 54S 

Johnston,  General  Joseph  E 453 


INDEX. 


701 


Page. 

Johnston,  General  A.  S 453 

Jomini,  Baron,  anecdote  of 571 

Jones,  Secretary  William,  recom- 
mends naval  school 270 

Jones,  John  Paul 511 

Jones,  Captain  Jacob,  sketch  of . . .   536 
Jonesboro,  battle  of,  fought  by  Gen- 
eral Logan 6g3 

Judah,  General  H.  M 663 

Judiciary,  differences  between,  and 
army  and  navy 416 

Kearney,  General  Philip,  sketch  of  566 

Kenesaw  Mountain,  assault  upon..  685 

Kilpatrick,  General,  case  of,  cited.  429 
Knox,   General    Henry,   action    of 

Congress  upon  militia  report,...  153 

Tribute  to 170 

Personal  note  of 125 

Celebrated    report   of,    on    the 

militia 125 

First  Secretary  of  War 266 

Military  sketch  of 501 

Land  of  military  reservation,  how 

bought 237 

Lane,  General  James  H 570 

Lawrence,   Captain  James,  sketch 

of 535 

Leavenworth,  General  Henry 546 

Lee  and  Grant,  comparison  of  ... .  409 

Lee,  General  R.  E 445 

Lee,  General  Charles,  of  the  Con- 
way Cabal 504 

Legget,  General  M.  D 676 

Life-tenure  of  army  and  naval  offi- 
cers   412 

Absurdity  of  attempt  to  extend  420 

Dangers  of 421 

Lincoln,  General  Benjamin 503 

Lincoln,  President,  tribute  to  loyal 

soldiers  and  sailors 337 

Lincoln,  Robert  T.,  Secretary  of 
War,  order  abolishing  Military 
Department  of  West  Point 262 


Page. 
Logan,  General  John   A.,  memoir 

of 25 

Capacity  for  work 25 

Senator  Cullom's  reminiscence 

of 26 

His  work  on  "The  Volunteer 

Soldier  " 26 

Remarkable  last  words  of 26 

Character  of  last  work 27 

Personal  traits  and  character  of  30 
General  Grant's  anecdote  of .  .  34 
Anecdote  of,  during  the  war. .  35 
His  love  for  the  volunteers.  .  .  36 
Anecdote  in  connection  with  37 
Refutation  of   charge  against, 

concerning  Presidency 38 

Legislative  services  of 39 

Military  record  of 41 

A  volunteer  in  Mexican  War.  41 
His  splendid  career  in  the  Civil 

War 42 

Histo-ry  of  the  injustice  done 

him  after  the   death  of  Mc- 

Pherson 42 

Letters  of  General  Sherman  to  58-62 

Grant's  opinion  of 53,  66 

Hooker's  opinion  of 65 

The   incident   connected   with 

General  Thomas 66 

Letters  of  Grant  concerning  67,  68 
Incident  connected    with   first 

Bull  Run 73 

Military  reminiscences  of 619 

At  the  battle  of  Belmont 619 

Capture  of  Fort  Henry 626 

Capture  of  Fort  Donelson  ....   638 

Wounded  at  Donelson 657 

At  siege  of  Corinth   661 

Recommended   for   promotion 

by  Grant 661 

Letter  of  Grant  recomm.ending 

his  promotion 661 

Discovers    the    evacuation    of 

Corinth 665 

At.  battle  of  Port  Gibson 676 


702 


INDEX. 


Page. 

At  battle  of  Raymond 677 

At  battle  of  Champion  Hills. .   677 
Position  before  Vicksburg. . .  .  678 

Entry  into. 678 

At  Resaca 679 

At  Dallas 682 

At  Kenesaw  Mountain 683 

At  Atlanta 685 

At  Atlanta,  takes  command  of 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. .  685 

Services  of,  at  Atlanta 687 

Grant's  report  of 687 

Report  of  battle  of  Atlanta. . ,   689 
Brilliant  movement  of,  during 
night  of  July  26,  before  At- 
lanta   6go 

Fights  second  battle  of  Atlanta  691 
Report    on    second    battle    of 

Atlanta 692 

Fights  the  battle  of  Jonesboro  693 
Congratulatory  order  to  troops 

after  arrival  at  Atlanta 694 

Longstreet,  General  J 453 

Luce,  Admiral  S.  B 614 

Lyon,  General  Nathaniel 453 

Macaulay's  account  of  English  navy  612 
Macdonough,  hero  of  Plattsburgh, 

sketch  of 529 

Macdonough,  Commodore,  hero  of 

Plattsburgh 523 

Madison,  President,  message  upon 

Military  Academy 219 

Magruder,  General 453 

Marion,  the  "swamp-fox" 503 

McAllister,  Fort,  capture  of 694 

McArthur,  Colonel  John 644 

McClellan,  General  George  B 626 

McClernand,     General     John      A. 

569,  628,  644 

McCook,  Daniel  and  R.  L.,  sketch 

of 569 

McCook's  division  at  Corinth 667 

McDowell,  General 453 

McFarland,  W 450 


Page. 
McHenry,     Secretary,     report    of, 

upon  military  education 176 

Plan  of  organizing   foot  artil- 
lerists and  horse  artillerists.   186 
Second  paper  upon  a  Military 

Academy 191 

McHenry's  report ;  comments  upon 
the  attempt  to  prove  a  truism  . . .    199 

McPherson,  J.  B.,  General 

449.  656,  685 

Meagher,   Thomas  Francis,  sketch 

of 569 

Merrill,  W.  E 450 

Mexican  War,  troops  in 479 

Military  Academy,  action    for,  in 

1776 : 157 

Opinions  of  various  army  offi- 
cers upon  expediency  of. . . .   158 
McHenry  again  urges  its  estab- 
lishment    191 

Act  creating 201 

President  Jefferson's   message 

upon 214 

Report    of    Colonel    Jonathan 

Williams  upon 214 

Effects  of  the  War  of  1812  upon  219 

Attempts  to  abolish  the 225 

Report  of  Bernard  and  McRae 

upon 223 

Acts  of  Congress  relating  to...   227 

Laws  governing 229 

John  C.  Calhoun  recommends 
an    additional    academy   for 

the  West  and  South 224 

Financial  aspect  of 240 

Military  education,  progress  of. . .   174 
Military    school,    early    suggestion 

of 121 

Military  system,  consideration  of..  411 
Summary  of  objections  to  ...  .  423 

Costliness  of  our  present 609 

Systems  of   France,    England, 

and  Prussia 601 

United  States,  author's  idea  of.  604 
What  the  States  should  do. . . .  606 


INDEX. 


703 


Page. 
Advantages  of  that  of  the  au- 
thor   607 

Objections  to  considered 608 

Militia  regiments  in  War  of  Rebel- 
lion    558 

Militia  bill  of  General  Knox,  re- 
ports of  committees  upon  neces- 
sity of  amending 155,  164 

Efforts  to  render  effective 163 

Militia,  the  difficulty  of  arming  the.   167 
Enumeration  of  laws  concern- 
ing organization  of 156 

Formation  of 473 

Miller,  General  John  F 570 

Milroy,  General  R.  H 570 

Mississippi  campaign 675 

Army  organization  in 675 

Mitchell,  General  R.  B 570 

Morgan,  General  Daniel,  of  Revo- 
lutionary fame 502 

Morrison,  Colonel  Wm.  R 644 

Mulligan,  Colonel  James,  sketch  of  569 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  case  of,  cited .   120 
Foreshadowing  of  his  genius. .  489 
Naval  Academy,   first   recognition 

of,  in  appropriation  bill 316 

Table  of  expense  of 317 

Annual  expense  in  detail 320 

Rules  and  regulations  of 321 

Naval    education,    history    of,    in 

United  States 264 

Act   of   January    2,    1813,    the 

first  move  toward 268 

Naval  character  of  War  of  1812  . . .   508 
Naval    officers,  list    of,    deserting 

the  Union 357 

Memorial  of,  for  a  naval  school  288 
Naval  school,  first  official  sugges- 
tion of,  by  Secretary  McHenry. .  266 
Action  of  Secretary  Wm.  Jones  269 
Action     of      Secretary     Smith 

Thompson 270 

Action    of     Secretary    Samuel 
Southard , 271 


Page. 
Action     of     President    J.     Q. 

Adams 273 

Recommendation    to  establish 

at  Governor's  Island 274 

Bill  for,  introduced  as  a  rider..  276 
Action  of  Congress  on  bill  for.  277 
Action    of    Secretary    Branch 

upon 281 

Representative       Watmough's 

report 286 

At  Annapolis,  comments  upon  313 
Secretary  Upshur's  bill  for  . . .   294 

Senator  Bayard's  bill  for 300 

Secretary    Bancroft's    success- 
ful stroke 308 

Naval  War  College  established  at 

Newport 614 

Comments  upon 614 

Navy  of  England,  progress  of 509 

Under  Charles  II 510 

Nimrod  the  Hunter,  case  of,  cited. .   117 

Oglesby,  Colonel  R.  J 644 

Oglesby,  General  R.  J 570 

Paine,  W.  C 450 

Palfrey,  J.  C 450 

Palmer,  General  John  M.,  sketch 

of 56S 

Panics  upon  battle-field,  nature  of  471 

Parrott,  R.  P 451 

Paulding,  Admiral 539 

Pay  of  regular  officers  and  volun- 
teers ;    unjust  discrimination  by 

Government 584 

Pay  of  the  volunteer  soldier 57S 

Perry,  O.  H.,  victory  on  Lake  Erie  521 

Sketch  of 530 

Plattsburgh,  the  victory  at 522 

Politics  of  the  army 435 

Polk,  General  L 453 

Pope,  General  John 453,  670 

Halleck's  treatment  of 673 

Port  Gibson,  battle  of 676 

Grant's  report 676 


704 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Porter,  Commodore  David,  sketch 

of 537 

Porter,  Admiral  D.  D 539,  572 

At  Fort  Fisher 563 

Prefatory  Note 77 

President,  Xho.  sYCx"^,  victories  of...  514 
Prevost,  Sir  George,  British  General  522 

Prime,   F.  E 449 

Professional   soldiers,   comparison 

of,  with  volunteers  in  Burgoyne's 

expedition 108 

Prussia,  military  system  of 602 

Puisegur,   Marshal  de,  on  the  art 

of  war 195 

Putnam,  General  Israel,  sketch  of.   503 

Quakers  of   New  England   protest 

against  militia  law 154 

Quaker  guns  at  Corinth 668 

Ransom,  Colonel,  Eleventh  Illinois  656 

Rawlins,  General  J.  A 656 

Raw  troops  and  raw  cotton 156 

Raymond,  battle  of 677 

Rebel  strategic  line  in  the  West. . .   626 

Regular  and  irregular  officers 457 

Reminiscences,  military,  of  General 

Logan 619 

Reno,  General 453 

Republics  of  ancient  times 381 

Of  the  Old  World 83 

Resaca,  battle  at 679 

Resources,  military,  in  1846 549 

Riel,  the  Canadian,  case  of 340 

Ripley,  General  E.  W 546 

Rodgers,  Admiral 539,   572 

Rowan,  Admiral 539,   572 

Sailors,  the  colonists  as 510 

Of  1S12 518 

Schoolmasters  for  navy  appointed. .  268 

Schoolmasters     in     navy,    become 

professors 292 

School  of  military  instruction  pro- 
vided    172 


Page, 

Schools,   militarj'-,    of   France   and 

England 600 

Schools    of    States    should    teach 

drill  of  the  soldier 606 

Schuyler,  General  Philip,  American 
volunteer,  services  of,  in  Bur- 
goyne's defeat 108 

Sketch  of 496 

Scott,  General  Winfield 542,  557 

Shelby,  General  Isaac 546 

Sheridan,  General  Phil..  434,  453,  561 

At  Corinth 669 

Sherman,  General  W.  T.  .434,  453,  561 

Deceived  at  Corinth 665 

At  Atlanta 686 

Order  to  Willard  Warner 685 

Report  of  battle  of  Atlanta. . .  687 
Equivocal  position  in  matter  of 

General  Logan's  promotion.  687 
Report  of  second  battle  of  At- 
lanta    691 

Shields,  General  James,  sketch  of.  569 

Sickles,  General  Daniel,  sketch  of.  566 

Slavery  as  a  cause  of  Rebellion. ...  86 

Smith,  General  John  E 570,  675 

Smith,  General  C.  F 620,  644 

Smith's,    Morgan    L.,    brigade    at 

Donelson 658 

Snyder,  G.  W 450 

Soldier,  qualities  essential  to  the. .  466 
Southard,  Samuel  L.,  Secretary  of 

Navy 271 

Southard,  Senator,  report  on  Naval 

Academy  bill 291 

Spaight,  note  of 107 

Special   education   in  life  callings, 

discussion  of 117 

Stanton,  Secretary,  telegram  from.  671 

Stark,  General  John,  sketch  of  ...  .  498 

Stevens,  I.  I. ,  General 447 

Stevenson,  Colonel  John  D 676 

St.  Leger,  British  General,  note  of  107 

Stuart,  General  J.  E.  B 453 

Sturgis,  General  S 453 

Sumner,  General  E.  D.,  sketch  of,  566 


INDEX. 


705 


Page. 
Sumter,  General  Thomas,   the  vol- 
unteer    503 

Swift,  General  Joiin 546 

Swift,  Generals  Joseph  and  John. .   442 

Table  I.  Amounts  appropriated 
for  Military  Academy 240 

Table  II.  Population  of  sections 
in  1810  and  i860 244 

Table  III.  Residence  of  West 
Point  cadets 245 

Table  IV.  List  of  high-class 
graduates  from  West  Point 246 

Table  V.  Pupils'  in  naval  school 
in  1833 284 

Table  VI.  Appropriations  for 
Naval  Academy 317 

Table  VII.  Cadets  admitted  to 
Annapolis 321 

Table  VIII.  Army  officers,  gradu- 
ates of  Military  Academy,  de- 
serting to  the  Rebellion 342 

Table  IX,  Army  officers,  non- 
graduates,  deserting  to  Rebellion  351 

Table  X.  Naval  officers  deserting 
to  Rebellion 357 

Table  XI.  List  of  graduates  from 
Naval  Academy 372 

Table  XII.  Showing  pay  of  re- 
tired officers  of  army 586 

Comments     upon     discrimina- 
tion of 586 

Showing    pensions    of    volun- 
teers     586 

Tables  II.  and  III.,  comments  upon  431 

Table,  Colonel  Totten's,  of  West 
Point  classes 401 

Taylor,  General  Zachary,  sketch  of  551 

Terry,  A.  H.,  General,  sketch  of..   561 

Thayer,  Colonel  J.  M 645 

Thomas,  General  George  H...453,  638 

Thompson,  Smith,  Secretary  of  the 
Navy 271 

Totten,  Colonel  Joseph  G 450 

Tower,  General  Zebulon 458 


Page. 
Training,  necessity  of,   for  the  sol- 
dier     156 

Military,  argument  for,  by  Sec- 
retary McHenry 194 

Tribute  to  Grant,  Sherman,  Sheri- 
dan, Hancock,  and  others 407 

Universities  of  States  should  have 

military  departments 605 

Upshur,    Secretary,  report  on    na- 
val education 293 

Presentation  of  naval  bill  by. .  294 

Second  report  of 293 

Van  Dorn,  General 453 

Vicksburg,  fall  of 678 

General  Logan's  entry  into. .  .   678 

Volunteer,  birth  of  the 463 

Volunteer  soldier  of  America,  sur- 
prise of  the  European  nations  at 
the,  after  Burgoyne's  defeat. . . .   104 
Description  of   the  citizen-sol- 
dier     103 

Capture  of  Major  Andre  by.. .   114 
Volunteer,  the,  in  the  War  of  1812 

476,  507 

In  the  War  of  1S46 478 

The  support  of  the  Republic.,  482 

In  Mexico 550 

In  the  Civil  War 558 

Volunteer  officers  of  Rebellion  ....   566 

Volunteer  soldiery,  injustice  to...  .   580 

Volunteers,  author's  appeal  for...   598 

Their  refusal  to  be  whipped  in 

Mexico 576 

Pay  of,  considered 579 

Volunteer     soldiers,     English     ac- 
quaintance with 517 

Hard  condition  of,  in  Revolu- 
tion    517 

At  Plattsburgh 526 

Volunteer  soldier  vs.  Lee,  Conway, 
and  Gates 506 

Wadsworti,.  General  James  S 567 


7o6 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Wallace,  General  Lew 567,  645 

Wallace,  General  W.  H.  L. . .   567,  644 
War  Department,  act  creating,  with 

charge  of  navy 265 

War  of  the  Rebelliton,  results  from  559 
Washington    as    a    volunteer    sol- 
dier   483 

His  foreshadowings  of  military- 
genius  4gi 

President,    refers    to    military 

school  in  annual  message. . .   122 
Recommending      a      Military 

Academy 164 

Wasp,  the,  victories  of 515,  519 

Watmough,  Representative,  report 

on  naval  education 286 

Wayne,  General  Anthony,  military 

sketch  of 501 

Weitzel,  General  Godfrey,  at  Fort 

Fisher 563 

Sketch  of 575 

Welles,  Secretary,  report  quoted..  335 

West  Point,  historic  interest  of. ...     95 

Its  strategic  importance  to  the 

colonists 96 

First  attempts  to  fortify 98 


Page. 
Renewed    attempts    to   fortify 

after  Burgoyne's  defeat 

Attempt  of  Benedict  Arnold  to 

deliver  to  the  enemy 112 

Graduates  of,   in  the  Mexican 

War 551 

Has  made  few  soldiers 441 

Influence  of,  in  Government.  .   581 

Monopoly  of  offices  by 581 

Hostility  of,  to  volunteers  ....   582 
Jealousy  of  regular  officers. . . .   582 

Aggressiveness  of 57S 

Monopoly      of      Government 

places •. ., 581 

Officers'  jealousy  of  volunteers  582 
Officers'  jealousy  of  each  other  583 
Williams,  Colonel  Jonathan,  report 

upon  Military  Academy 214 

Wooden  guns  in  Rebellion 577 

Wool,  General  John  E.,  sketch  of  .   553 

Worden,,  John  L 539,  572 

Worth,  General  William  J.,  sketch 
of 546 

Yeo,  Sir  James,  British   Commo- 
dore    533 


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